[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Zim students struggle on

[Patrick Bond]

From:
"ZINASU ZINASU" <zinasu at gmail.com>
Date:
Wed, 7 Mar 2007 18:04:10 +0200
To:
zinasu at gmail.com

THE STUDENT
 
Update on the 20 arrested students
 
IN THE LIONS DEN
.....students brutally assaulted ,released, but 4 remain in police custody
 
The despotic regime continue to live up to its dubious title as an 
outpost of tyranny.  20 arrested students were subjected to barrack 
gangsterism, wanton assaults from the members of the brutal Zimbabwe 
Republic Police. However, 16 students were released today while the 
other  4, thus, the Zimbabwe National Students Union ( ZINASU) Secretary 
General Beloved Chiweshe, Tust Nhubu, Lawrence Mashungu and Simbarashe 
Mukusha are still detained at the notorious Hillside Police Station. 
This brings  the number of arrested students in the month of March to 23 
following the arbitrary arrest of Tineyi Mukwewa, the Student Executive 
Council (SEC) president at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Trevor 
Murayi, the Treasurer General in the UZ SEC, and Garikai Tshuma, the 
Secretary General of the Students Representative Assembly SRA on 
Thursday, the 1st of March 2007. SRA is a student parliament which 
oversees the SEC.
 
The boycotts are spreading to other ZINASU regions. Reports coming from 
Masvingo, where the union Vice President Gedion Chitanga is spearheading 
the process revealed that all the Colleges, save for Bondolfi Teachers 
College were deserted. Few students were seen trickling in and out of 
the Masvingo State University. In most colleges in Gweru, Harare and 
Chinhoyi  lecturers are still on strike and students also stayed away 
from college. To further compound the situation, the public transport 
operators have increased the bus fare today. It now costs around $ 20 
000 per day for a student commuting to and from Chitungwiza and 
University of Zimbabwe . In Gweru students at Midlands State University 
are forking out $16 000 to and from Mkoba and the main Campus. That is 
the same situation with other students studying in major cities such as 
Mutare, Masvingo and Chinhoyi. In Mutare, it is reported low turnouts 
and the situation was pathetic at Africa University where most students 
were forced to return home after spending days without running clean tap 
water.
 
The ZINASU president, Promise Mkwananzi has however vowed to continue 
with the class boycotts despite the arrest and victimisation from the 
state repressive machinery. He urged all the students to remain focused 
and steadfast in the wake of brutal and heartless campaigns against 
humanity by the regime.
 
 
 
THE VANGUARD ALERT
 
 
STUDENT LEADER MISSING
 
 
United College of Education ( UCE) Student Union president, Cosmas 
Gwature is reported missing and suspected to have been abducted by the 
state security agents. Cosmas Gwature was arrested alone at the UCE on 
the same day that others were arrested at Hillside Teachers College. He 
has been missing since then. Efforts by lawyers and other students 
collegues to establish his whereabouts have hit a brickwall . ZINASU is 
gravely concerned that he may be tortured or even killed  by the 
desperate and vicious vampire regime.
 
 
For more information you can contact Washington Katema on the details 
provided below
 
Defending Academic Freedoms In Zimbabwe ( DAFiZ)
 
Information Desk
Zimbabwe National Students Union
21 Wembly Road, Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe,
00263912301231/ 002634788135