University of Zimbabwe student leaders suspended over protests

By Violet Gonda
3 March 2006

A serious showdown is looming between the government and University of Zimbabwe students over fee hikes. University of Zimbabwe authorities have responded to demonstrations by suspending members of the student leadership.

Secretary General of the Students Executive Council (SEC) confirmed the leadership had been suspended. He said, “Wellington Mahohoma the Secretary for Legal Affairs, myself and Colleen Chibango the Vice President have been sent packing from the university over disturbances that happened on Monday and one of our cadres Tinei (Sande), who was also involved in demonstrations, is currently at Parirenyatwa.”

Mlilo believes the suspensions are null and void saying the charges which were being levelled against them had been dropped by CID Law and Order. But he said, “The university is run by small Robert Mugabes and in a bid to try and keep their jobs, in a bid to try and keep the situation calm they are going to have the suspensions sustained.” They were told that they would be arrested if the set foot on campus.

Stung by unaffordable fee hikes the student leaders were arrested on Monday as they attempted to approach officials at University of Zimbabwe to discuss the recent ten-fold increase in tuition fees.

The activists say state authorities have intensified a victimisation campaign since the their release on Wednesday and have sent armed riot police with dogs to cordon off the University in anticipation of demonstrations.

The students also report that police stationed at the campus were helping themselves to meals meant for students and have been seen comfortably eating in the dining hall at the UZ.

Mlilo alleges that SEC President Washington Katema, who was travelling with a group of other students in a car, was followed and hit by an army truck on Friday. He said a woman in the car was injured and is receiving treatment at Avondale Clinic in Harare.

Mlilo believes it was no accident and said the police and state security have threatened to “deal with them” if they continued with their actions. He said they were put in a cell with a “deranged man who beat them all night long,” when they were arrested earlier this week.

“We are putting it in the press so that if anything is happening at least the world is aware that attempts are being made on our lives.” he said.

It reported that only 3% of the students at the university have paid their fees and out of 4 000 rooms available for residents only 100 have been paid for.

The Secretary General of the Students Executive Council said, “This is not a war or a demonstration against fees it is a struggle against privatisation. It’s an anti poverty movement and there is no way we can abscond from duty because we have been suspended. I can assure you that the whole of next week the university will be ungovernable.”