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Cry Zimbabwe's beloved students
Students Solidarity Trust
May 16, 2011

Upon Zimbabwe's attainment of independence in 1980, infrastructure and facilities for students were limited. The nation rapidly increased the number of schools, universities and vocational training institutions. This was remarkable and commendable for a government who stated primary aim was education for all.

As student populations grew and more of the Zimbabwean populous got educated, the country was looking to a bright and prosperous future. However, the story of Zimbabwe's students took a mind-boggling turn with the appointment of poor custodians. Custodianship of our colleges and universities has been atrocious and has sold students short as those given the responsibility have long relinquished it opting to be ZANU PF functionaries. Notwithstanding that there is across-section of political views on campuses, administration continues to worryingly favor ZANU PF's oppressive tactics.

On July 9 2007, the vice chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Professor Levi Nyagura ordered within 30 [thirty] minutes closure of halls of residence rendering the estimated 4500 student-population homeless. This was two weeks before crucial end of year examinations and during a pretty cold winter spell in the country. The official reason was that there had been demonstrations but instead of looking for and punishing the culprits, unsuspecting residents had to be collateral damage as the professor sort to exorcise the University of any living soul. Four years down the line, the halls of residents are still closed amid all sorts of excuses from the unavailability of water to renovations. In a politically polarized country such a Zimbabwe, a concentration of students at the oldest university in the country is the last thing authorities would want to deal with. In Prof Nyagura, a willing servant has been found to ensure that students continue to suffer, living in squalid conditions and dropping out of college due to lack of accommodation. Disruption to the system of residence at college has seen unscrupulous landlords mushrooming and charging exorbitant tariffs for substandard accommodation. Infrastructure is seriously run down and some of the facilities such the students union building are no longer functional.

Wanton persecution of students continues with arrests, suspensions and expulsions part of the administrators' toolkit to frustrate student activism and stifle dissent. A cocktail of court cases and disciplinary hearings have ensured that students are always on the back foot as college authorities try to flash out those they deem undesirable.

The country's students continue to wish for a day when professionalism returns to colleges. Indeed, the current crop of college administrators continue to do ZANU PF's bidding at the expense of the success and prosperity of students nationwide. The culture of getting instructions from a political office must seize to enable full recovery of the education system.

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