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Students appear in court as the University of Zimbabwe closes down
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
February 09, 2009

Three University of Zimbabwe students will appear at the Harare Magistrate court today (09/02/09) over charges of leading student unrest at the University of Zimbabwe. The students were arrested last week on Monday (02/02/09) during a protest under the National Campaign Against the Dollarization of Education in Zimbabwe (NACADEZ) led by ZINASU leaders. The students are Justice Chikanya, Tawanda Katsuro and one unnamed from the U.Z Law faculty.

The University of Zimbabwe gazetted fees in foreign currency with students asked to pay at least USD 400 to sit for examinations. The pronouncement followed the presentation of the 2009 National Budget that effectively dollarized the economy. This sparked massive protests in which 70 students were arrested as scores of students joined the NACADEZ campaign in protest against the fees schedule. Most of the students were released on the day of arrest while the trio remain in cells without any charges. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) will represent the three as they appear in court almost one week after they were arrested.

ZINASU condemns the arrests of students and the violent response by the state to student peaceful protests. ZINASU further condemns the illegal detention of students in cells without any charges being preferred on them. ZINASU asserts that payments of fees in foreign currency will be the final death nail on the collapse of the education sector. Scores of students will drop out of school owing to high fees. At least 94% of Zimbabwe's productive sector is unemployed and for the few still working are earning in Zimbabwean dollars.

To date less than a tenth of the students have paid fees at the University of Zimbabwe. On Friday the 6th of February the University of Zimbabwe closed for lectures as most students had failed to pay the sky high fees. The closure of the University is a regrettable development in the education sector as students bear the brunt of governments ill-fated and failed policies. The University of Zimbabwe has in the past been ranked one the best Universities in Africa. ZINASU is currently engaged in the formulation of an alternative education policy that seeks to address some of the challenges faced by students and youth in Zimbabwe.

Visit the ZINASU fact sheet

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