Back to Index

University of Zimbabwe must open now
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
May 05, 2009

The continued closure of the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is regrettable and is exacerbating the plight of the already suffering student population of Zimbabwe. The deafening silence by the inclusive government on this matter, and their subsequent failure to provide a solution to the crisis is even more worrying. Zimbabwe's Hybrid government itself, has many products of free and affordable education both in the pre and post independence eras, yet seems not to attach the requisite value to the resuscitation of the education sector .To believe that the highest institution of learning in the country can go for almost a year without opening is not only unthinkable, but it is also unacceptable. The students union is privileged to former Presidents and Secretary Generals of the students' movement within the corridors of power and they are expected to champion the cause of the students.

The running of an institution as big as the University of Zimbabwe, like a family business, by one bureaucrat can no longer be tolerated. This is a clarion call to the powers that be to usher in a better, committed and competent administration at the institution. The fact that the current Vice Chancellor, Professor Levi Nyagura, is failing to acquire funding from the Government, the private sector (which is a beneficiary of the graduates being churned) as well as other international donors shows that the man has failed, and no one can trust him with the revival of the college. It is our thinking that he should simply step down.

We wish to make it clear that for Nyagura and the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary education, to think that students will pay the ridiculously exorbitant fees they want, is a fallacy and a clear declaration of war against the suffering students of Zimbabwe and their poor families. To begin with, many of the students at the University of Zimbabwe are born of either peasant parents or lowly remunerated civil servants and will therefore not be in a position to raise these astronomical fees .More so, the Zimbabwe National Students Union believes that it is the duty and social responsibility of any Government of the day to fund the education of its citizens, not to mention the international obligation.

In this vain we call upon the President (who happens to be the UZ Chancellor) and the Prime Minister (who has on several occasions during his days as opposition leader promised to revamp the education sector), to quickly come to their senses and prioritize the reconstruction of the University of Zimbabwe together with other tertiary institutions across the country. If the Premier could go to Harare Hospital and was touched by the plight of the institution and without looking at how much they had in treasury, promise U.S $1, 5 Million, what stops him from doing the same at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare Polytechnic or Mkoba Teachers College. We hope that the sincerity of our colleagues is still intact.

We equally call upon this inclusive Government to reverse the privatization of education, since this has made education a preserve for the elite and not for all as envisaged in post independent Zimbabwe. The issue of bottlenecks in the education system, and the need to have it as a resource available to all Zimbabweans is something which drove many young folk to Mozambique and Zambia to join the liberation struggle. We urge this inclusive government not to renege on the promises of the liberation struggle, and to cease eroding the fruits and gains of Zimbabwe's independence.

To the Finance Minister and the Deputy Prime minister we have no kind words for you! As former proponents of affordable and quality education during your university days, we expect you together with other university alumni to hastily look for ways to fund the University of Zimbabwe or else you will have failed the generational mandate bestowed upon you. Let it always ring in your minds and hearts that the fundamental principles and values that led to the establishment of the University were the need to provide affordable and quality education for all.

Visit the ZINASU 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