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Students persecutions continues
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
December 14, 2007

Bulawayo

In a move meant to frustrate the student movement, three student leaders from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) being Themba Maphenduka, Sheunesu Nyoni (Students Union Secretary General) and Brian Mtisi ( Secretary for Information and Publicity), were last night abducted and severely beaten up and tortured by 15 army personnel, National Railways of Zimbabwe security officers and suspected state agents. The trio were apprehended for allegedly commenting that the delay on the timetable of the train service was as a result of the Zanu PF infamous Congress.

The train was expected to leave for Harare at 2100hrs but up until midnight the train had not yet arrived at the departure bay. The students were on their way to Harare for a ZINASU Human Rights Dialogue scheduled for the weekend. The three were taken to the Railway control room were they were severely beaten up with wooden sticks, baton sticks, iron bars, fists and chains. The beatings continued for about 4 hours and only ceased after the arrival of police officers from Bulawayo Central Police.Charges proffered against them were that they were being a public nuisance and that they were inciting public violence. They were later released this morning after paying admission of guilty fines

ZINASU condemns in the most vehement of terms the continued, unjustified victimization of Student leaders. We further express shame at the government's reluctance to respect and promote Human Rights and its failure to ensure that state security stops persecution of Human Rights Defenders.

Harare

As the regime's efforts of frustrating the students body intensifies nationwide, two University of Zimbabwe (UZ) student activists who were on suspension since 9 July 2007 were arraigned again for a hearing by the Vice Chancellor Levy Nyagura. The two are Thabani Moyo and Manifest Jabuli who were suspended for allegedly protesting against the Z$1 million top up accommodation fee in July 2007. What is shocking is the fact that these two appeared before a disciplinary hearing earlier this month but were acquitted by the disciplinary committee. It is now clear that Nyagura wants to reverse the decision made by the disciplinary committee and take the law into his own hands by expelling the students like what happened to Shaun Matsheza (Students Union Vice President) who was facing the same case.

The Union condemns this move by Nyagura of undermining the decision made by the committee. It is beyond reasonable doubt that in Zimbabwe there is no rule of law, even university campus security guards are taking the law into their own hands as they denied Moyo and Jabuli access to University premises since the upliftment of their suspension.The Registrar again refused to offer them supplimentary special examinations taking into cognisence the fact that these two never attended lectures the whole semester.

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