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Relentless
onslaught on students!
Students Solidarity Trust
April 27, 2006
In clear testament
to its autocratic perfectionism, the Harare regime has continued
on its sustained warpath on students in Zimbabwe.
In a shocking
development, the riot police caused mayhem and pandemonium on the
University of Zimbabwe on the night of the 24th of April,
beating up students indiscriminately and firing teargas into the
halls of residence.
The beatings
and arrests were informed by students campaigning for posts in the
coming SEC elections.
Apparently 7
student leaders were arrested and detained by the police, and were
severely beaten.
This move is
unprecedented, and speaks volumes of the intolerance levels of this
regime, denying students their democratic choice to seek political
office is the highest form of academic barbarism, and should be
condemned at all costs.
Meanwhile the
National University has again summoned student leaders for another
hearing. The students have been summoned to another student disciplinary
hearing with fresh charges on the demonstration they held on compass
in February. This is follows their first hearing on the 28th
March where they were charged with demonising the Government and
the Vice Chancellor of NUST.
While they were
awaiting verdict on their first hearing, they were this week summoned
to yet another hearing with fresh charges against them. Letters
sent by the University Admissions and student records read
- Contravening
section 3.2.1 of Ordinance 30 – the charge being unlawfully and
intentionally engaging in conduct which was reasonably likely
to be harmful to the interest of the university by displaying
violence by word or act towards of the security at NUST.
- Contravening
Section 3.1.4. of Ordinance 30- unlawfully and intentionally engaged
in conduct which was reasonably likely to be harmful to the interest
of the university, by actively associating yourself with a group
of persons who threw stones at the entrance of the main administration
block, thereby destroying property of the university.
"You are
therefore requested t o appear for a disciplinary hearing scheduled
for the 2nd of May 2006 at 0830hrs" reads one of
the letters to the four students. The university is likely to expel
students seeing their quest to change charges into more serious
ones.
The heightened
and sustained attack on students comes at a time when the Zimbabwe
National Students Union is organising for a historic congress, which
will be mandated to elect a new leadership into office. The new
leadership will be tasked to reclaim the space that students had
lost. Students should now be in a position to echo the demands of
downtrodden nation and should lead from the front, alongside the
suffering workers, the weary peasants and the unemployed youths,
in the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe. Long live the Union!
Visit the Students
Solidarity Trust fact
sheet
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