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ZINASU
update on demonstrations, arrests and suspensions
Zimbabwe National
Students Union (ZINASU)
October 30, 2006
Bulawayo
students demonstrate over exorbitant fees
The
25th of October 2006 sent shocks in Zimbabwe when more
than 500 students from colleges in Bulawayo staged a peaceful march
from the city Hall to the governor's office at Mhlahlandlela government
complex. The students were demanding an immediate reversal and review
of the current Education Policy which has turned all institutions
of higher and tertiary learning into commercial business entities.
Tuition fees are sky rocketing every semester beyond the reach of
the generality of the student populace.
The march was led by the ZINASU President, Promise Mkwananzi and
the Secretary General, Beloved Chiweshe, who made an address to
the students and members of the public urging them to remain resilient
in demanding their rights to education, food, health and shelter
as fundamental. The President further read the petition which was
to be presented to the governor, which outlined the demands for
quality and affordable education. He led the peaceful march to the
Governor's office to submit the petition where the overzealous state
security and police went riotous on the students leading to the
arrest of 43 students. The arrested who were detained at the Bulawayo
Central Police station, were however remanded out of custody on
free bail to 15 November 2006.
Unlawful
arrest of students at Masvingo State University
12
Students including ZINASU Vice President, Gideon Chitanga, were
on the 23rd of October 2006, arrested and detained by
police at Masvingo
State University (MASU) for holding a general meeting, which
was termed Unsanctioned. The ZINASU Vice President was arrested
for calling and addressing a general meeting whose agenda was to
articulate on the deepening crisis at MASU, other state institutions
and the nation as a whole. The meeting was then disrupted by the
campus security and the state police after the students demanded
an address from the Vice Chancellor concerning the short notice
postponement of the scheduled SRC elections. The other 8 students
including the ZINASU Vice President were later released but the
police further detained the four aspiring candidates for the MASU
SRC elections. The four are still being interrogated for their association
with ZINASU. They were brought before the courts, charged with breach
of peace and inciting public violence under the notorious Public
Order and Security Act (POSA) and were forced to pay unjust
fines for their release.
4 suspended,
12 expelled and 1 set to appear before a disciplinary committee
The
neo-colonial fascist regime continued to parade its arrogant idiocy
as it illegally suspended and expelled 16 students in a space of
three days. The University of Zimbabwe suspended four student leaders
who included the student union president Tineyi Mukweva, Secretary
General Xaxi Matema, Maureen Kademaunga and Zwelitini Viki, who
are the Information and Publicity Secretary and the Health and Social
Affairs Secretary respectively. In Bulawayo, the union witnessed
with great shock when some of the arrested students who are from
Hillside Teachers college and United College of Education were expelled
upon returning to their respective or rather irrespective institutions.
The 12 expelled students, who had spent 2 days in the Bulawayo police
holding cells, were accused of bringing the name of the institution
into disrepute by participating in the demonstration which was organized
by ZINASU.
Meanwhile the
Harare Polytechnic College Student Representative Council president,
Tawanda Gumbi has been called to a disciplinary hearing over the
petition against the poor food quality. The petition was signed
by more than 600 students and this did not go down well with the
principal. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is providing legal
assistance to all affected students.
Visit the ZINASU
fact
sheet
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