Back to Index

SCMZ is deeply concerned about the continued assault of student leaders by the university administration working in cahoots with the police and state security agents. UZ Student Union President, Lovemore Chinoputsa and the Secretary for Legal Affairs, Fortune Chamba were brutally assaulted in front of other students by the UZ security and the police. This public assault was meant to intimidate other students.

This happened after the student leaders had convened an extra ordinary general meeting which was meant to discuss the accommodation and transport crisis among other pertinent issues affecting students at the biggest institution of higher learning in Zimbabwe. The accommodation crisis is a result of the closure of all halls of residence on campus by the UZ administration purportedly from the instructions of the city health department. This literally means that more than 12000 students have to commute to campus every morning. This has proved to be impossible with the already crumpled transport system in the country.

Most students have also not yet found accommodation and they are reportedly living under squalid conditions and there are fears that there will be shocking dropout levels if there are no urgent interventions from both state and non state actors. Disabled students were the worst affected as they were relocated outside campus were there are no special facilities for them and the university has also failed to make transport arrangements for them.

What is more disheartening is the silence and ignorance of the UZ administration and the Ministry of Higher Education. The supplementary budget was also silent on bailing out the Higher Education sector. Instead the President who is also the Chancellor of all state universities pledged assistance to students in Malaysia whilst students here in Zimbabwe are in a worse off situation. The government is also planning to expand its scholarship programme in Malaysia whilst the higher education is on its knees, which is a clear sign of misplaced priorities. SCMZ would want to urge the UZ administration and the Government to restore its human face instead of being a monster to its own people.

Visit the SCMZ fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP