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Riot police pounce on students - Free Edison Hlatswayo campaign continues
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
October 15, 2007

Masvingo

Students at Masvingo Polytechnic College got the shock of the semester as riot police pounced at the college Dining Hall during a peaceful address on the continued and unjustified detention of Edison Hlatswayo. More than 20 students have been arrested and many seriously injured from the stampede after several shots of tear gas canisters were fired in the Hall by overzealous police. ZINASU Secretary General, Beloved Chiweshe who is heading the delegation on the Free Edison Hlatswayo Campaign, escaped the sporadic and indiscriminate beatings by the ruthless riot police. Chiweshe confirmed that the state is prepared to kill, insisting that students would continue to escalate efforts to get Hlatswayo out of the gulley of the shadow of death, AGAINST ALL ODDS. Edison's health has grossly deteriorated over the weeks that he has been in illegal detention.

Edison Hlatswayo was arrested on the 27th of September 2007 by state security agents during a youth public meeting in Masvingo. Four consecutive attempts by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) to secure his release have hit a brick wall. Hlatswayo is set to reappear before the Masvingo magistrate court on the 16th October 2007. Students from colleges in Masvingo and other ZINASU member institutions have warned Mr. Robert Mugabe and the Government of Zimbabwe against its reckless actions on students. Gideon Chitanga, the ZINASU Vice President reaffirmed the students' anger, adding that 'history will judge Mugabe hashly and unfortunately in his absence.....he will not be there to defend his gangster-like misrule.''

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