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UZ suspends student leader
Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe (SCMZ)
September 17, 2007

The Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe (SCMZ) Secretary General Prosper Munatsi has been served with a one year suspension sentence following a kangaroo hearing held on the 5th of June 2007 which was presided over by UZ Vice Chancellor, Levy Nyagura's loyalists.

In a suspension letter dated 13 July 2007, the SCMZ Secretary General was accused of the following charges; addressing an illegal Students Executive Council election rally and to be specific for Lovemore Chinoputsa, in a hall of residence at the University campus in defiance of the code of conduct on elections and ordinance 30 as read with the University of Zimbabwe Act [25:16]; inviting outsiders and/or non-University of Zimbabwe students to assist you in your illegal campaign without the authorization by University authorities and inciting actions contributing to the unruly and violent behaviour by a group of students who ended up smashing window panes at the campus.

SCMZ would want to categorically state that the suspension of the Secretary General is illegal and should indeed be lifted with immediate effect. As a movement we totally disregard the draconian University Act which is reminiscent to the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), meant to defy the students' freedom of association, assembly, expression and movement. We also believe that the University should address the causes of the students' problems rather than the symptoms. The crux of the matter is that life for students has become a misfortune and an approaching catastrophe. It is common knowledge that the students cannot be violent since they do not have the capacity of doing so at the hands of state sponsored thugs such as the police, CIOs, the Border Gezi militia, institutional security guards etc, who are almost everywhere at institutions of higher leaning. Infact they have been successfully indoctrinated by the repressive state that force is the only way to silence the voice of the voiceless, (Students voices).

Furthermore, SCMZ is concerned by the UZ justice delivery procedure. It defeats all the values of justice as the disciplinary committee is just a window dressing committee since Nyagura alone is the one who makes the ultimate decisions. Meanwhile SCMZ will not be deterred by the regime's dirty tactics to frustrate the genuine concerns of the suffering students; actually it will strengthen us as a movement to continue fighting for the restoration of an efficient education delivery system in Zimbabwe.

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule the people groan." Prov 29 v 2

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