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ZINASU political report from National Congress to Midlands Provincial Congress
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) (Mugwadi)
April 17, 2010

Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) postponed its Inaugural Provincial Congress to a date to be advised but circulated the political report to all congress delegates to give them time to prepare for debate to be done in congress. The Congress was supposed to be held in the Midlands province on the 17th of April 2010. The following is the political report circulated to congress delegates.

ZINASU Political Report from National Congress To Provincial Congress

The 7th Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) Bi-annual Congress was successfully held at Chinhoyi University of Technology from 29-31st of January 2010under the theme 'Defining and entrenching a new political culture in pursuit of a student revolution". The congress extensively debated the following issues among others.

(1) Accessibility of Education
(2) HIV/AIDS
(3) Land Issue
(4) Constitutional Making Process
(5) Progress made by the Inclusive Government
(6) Ideological Standpoint of ZINASU

National congress made resolutions that are now the verses and chapters guiding the incumbent National Executive Council (NEC) in their day to day activities. The NEC was tasked to embark on a vigorous individual membership recruitment drive. The starting point being the formation of vibrant provincial structures composed of student leaders who understand and appreciate the values and principles of the student movement. This Congress is the Inaugural provincial congress of ZINASU and students of this province must applaud themselves for successfully organizing the first provincial congress. The provincial congress must engender an implementation framework for the resolutions adopted by National congress. This congress is also going to elect leadership that will execute the congress mandate. The chairperson and secretary general of this province will join the NEC which was expanded from 10 to 23 members by congress resolution article 15.

'Defining and entrenching a new political culture in pursuit of a student revolution"

The National congress resolved that ZINASU must operate like the autonomous body that it is, not seeking to appease any political party but tirelessly fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the students of Zimbabwe. ZINASU must be run by its rightful owners, the students and it must therefore defend academic rights and freedoms without fear of severing ties with any political party. Students are not pawns of politicians and must not be used to advance partisan interests. Students' leaders shall not subordinate the principled union to any political party for selfish gains.

This congress must therefore seek to strategise on how best this political culture can be entrenched in the students of the Midlands province.

Accessibility of Education

National congress noted with utmost disgust how the Zimbabwean government has denied the poor but deserving students of Zimbabwe their right to education through privatization of education. Congress resolved that students must rise and crush privatization through the National Campaign against Privatization of Education in Zimbabwe (NACAPEZ).

This congress must extensively debate on how students can effectively lobby for the reintroduction of the loan and grant scheme.

HIV/AIDS

National congress noted that students of Zimbabwe are now resorting to prostitution as a means of survival under the desperate conditions they find themselves in, when they are on campus. The NEC was tasked to revitalize the Graduate Alive campaign. Students must be urged to correctly and consistently use condoms. The "One condom one round" slogan must therefore be popularized on campuses.

This congress must come up with a clear plan on how best the Graduate Alive campaign can be revitalized on campuses. Congress must also come up with prospective partner organizations in the fight against the deadly pandemic.

Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act

The government of Zimbabwe has enacted this act which has sparked controversy internationally. ZINASU is a Pan Africanist and a socialist movement that believes in empowerment of the indigenous people, the black majority, but not through half baked and ingenuine policies that will only benefit in the short term a few black elite at the detriment of the national economy. Zimbabweans cannot afford to buy food and can therefore never afford shares. The minister of Finance is pressurizing the international community to declare Zimbabwe a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) so the government cannot afford to buy shares for the ordinary man on the street.

This congress must therefore debate this act and come up with a realistic alternative that can benefit the poor majority.

The Land Reform

The chaotic land reform which ZANU PF embarked on in 2000 benefited a few of the suffering masses whilst the greed political elites grabbed all the productive land for themselves. The National Congress resolved that land that was allocated to the deserving poor must remain in their hands but the multiple owners of farms must cede farms for equitable distribution. Farm invasions must stop.

This congress must come up with realistic recommendations for the Government of Zimbabwe to effectively deal with the land issue for the benefit of the poor Zimbabweans who deserve land and the good of our economy which heavily rely on Agriculture.

Constitution making process

Zimbabweans are currently being fooled that there is a constitution making process when politicians are trying to make a political deal for their selfish benefits. National Congress resolved that students of Zimbabwe must not participate in this flawed process but continuously demand a people driven constitution making process.

This congress must come up with a plan of action on how students can possibly mobilize Zimbabweans against the ongoing parliamentary driven process.

The inclusive government

The inclusive government has betrayed the students of Zimbabwe by employing fascist education policies that are discriminatory against the poor. Civil servants' working conditions are poor health sector is not showing visible signs of improvement.

National congress resolved that fresh elections must be called for and those elections must be run by the United Nations. A democratically elected government must be ushered in which is accountable to the electorate not to the negotiators and facilitators of talks as is the current state of affairs.

This congress must come up with a straight forward way forward of pushing for fresh polls.

Ideological Standpoint

National congress resolved that the Students Union remains aligned to the left.

This congress must try to engender a practical programme of action for pushing for the fair distribution of the national resources and close the unjustified gap between the rich and the poor.

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