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UZ concedes to reinstate evicted students into halls of residence
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
July 13, 2007

On 10 June 2007 Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights filed an urgent application in the High Court, in the case of Trevor Marai & Anr vs Director of Accommodation & Catering Services University of Zimbabwe & 3 Ors HC 3592/07 , seeking an order that the University authorities readmit evicted students into their halls of residence until the end of the extended 2007 second semester. ZLHR was aware that on 9 July 2007 the University authorities, backed by members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), riot police section, had forcefully evicted all students from the halls of residence at the university main campus after giving them only one hour's notice to vacate the halls of residence. By 1530hrs on 9 July 2007 thousands of students, some coming from as far as Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, were left stranded with no where to sleep, having to sleep in the open bus terminal area. The forced evictions occurred at a time when students where preparing for their end of semester examinations, beginning on the 16 th of July 2007 and ending on the 27th of July 2007.

ZLHR NOTES THAT: on 13 July 2007, before the Justice Hlatswayo, it was agreed by all parties that students should be readmitted into those halls of residents that had not been rendered inhabitable after a demonstration that occurred on 7 July 2007, which saw the destruction of some property within the halls of residence. The order of the High Court, by consent, reads as follows:

1. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents (namely the Director department of Accommodation & Catering, the Vice Chancellor and the University of Zimbabwe ) shall start admitting students, subject to administrative formalities, to all the halls of residence on its main campus except Manfred Hodson Hall, New Complex 1 and New Complex 5 which are presently unfit for human habitation. (emphasis)

2. 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents shall start implementing the provisions of paragraph 1 hereof on Monday 16 July 2007 .

The effect of this order is that those students that had been evicted on the 9th of July and any other students of the University of Zimbabwe may attend at the University of Zimbabwe accommodation offices and seek admission into the following halls of residence, namely Swinton Hall, Carr Saunders, New Complexes 2, 3 & 4. Should the University of Zimbabwe and accommodation authorities fail to admit students into the said halls of residence, as agreed in the consent order, then they shall be in contempt of the High Court order?

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