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Report on bi-annual congress
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
January 22, 2008

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) held its 6th Bi-annual congress from the 18th to the 19th of January 2008 at River of Life Church in Harare. Forty three (43) institutions drawn from Teachers' Colleges, Polytechnics, Vocational Training Centres, Agricultural Colleges and Universities around the country were all represented.

The congress, whose theme was, "Making students a Nation's priority: Making the nation a students' priority," was held at a time when the education delivery system in the country is facing total collapse due to the misgovernance and maladministration by the criminal and illegitimate government of Robert Mugabe.

Students in all tertiary institutions have been reduced to hunters and gatherers as they now scavenge to survive on bits and pieces from well wishers, if there are still any considering the total collapse of the economy. The conditions of learning in the Robert Mugabe era, 28 years after independence, are worse than those in which he himself experienced when he obtained his two degrees in Ian Smith's jails.

Partners who graced the historic congress included:

• Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
• Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
• Students Solidarity Trust
• South African Students Congress
• Students Christian Movement of Zimbabwe
• Youth Initiative For Democracy in Zimbabwe
• Zimbabwe Youth Movement
• Youth Forum
• Youth Agenda
• Bulawayo Agenda
• SAYWHAT
• National Constitutional Assembly
• Women's Action Group
• Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights
• Zimbabwe Young Christian Students
• National Movement of Catholic Students
• Combined Harare Residents Association
• Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum
• Zimbabwe Election Support Network

They urged ZINASU to take a centre stage in the struggle for democracy in Zimbabwe. ZINASU was challenged to remain vigilant, resilient and focused to save students from the whims and caprices of patronage.

The congress further looked into the prognosis of 2008-9 with the following resolutions:

1. Craft a clear cut education policy which the students' movement will present and lobby for adoption by government.
2. Continue to tackle issues affecting students both at institutional and national level i.e. bonding of students by the government, victimization of students and any other injustices perpetrated on the students' movement.
3. Mobilise all students and the masses to register to vote and vote in the forthcoming elections and ensure that post election strategies are devised urgently and it should be ensured that citizens of Zimbabwe defend their vote.
4. Constructively critic national issues and be able to be heard.
5. Increase participation of female students in issues of governance.
6. Mobilize people at grass root level and use mass protests and demonstrations as means of demanding our fundamental human rights.
7. Support all progressive democratic forces whose objectives are to bring democracy to Zimbabwe.
8. Support national office election candidates with the students' agenda advancement in mind.

Lastly the congress saw ZINASU electing a new National Executive Council that replaced the Promise Mkwananzi led executive. The new executive is comprised of the following:

The new executive took an oath and promised to work tirelessly in the defence of academic freedoms, restoration of Human Rights, advocate people for a driven democratic constitution.

Visit the ZINASU fact sheet

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