Students under siege as Mugabe crackdown widens

By Lance Guma
04 April 2007

Chiedza Gadzirai, a female student leader at Bindura University of Science Education, was allegedly threatened with rape by men believed to be state security agents. According to Promise Mkwananzi the president of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), Gadzirai first received a phone call before being paid a visit by two unknown men clad in designer suits and dark glasses. She was interrogated on the whereabouts of Mkwananzi and Secretary General Beloved Chiweshe who are both in hiding following revelations they are top of a police ‘wanted list.’

Gadzirai is Vice President of the Student Executive Council at the university. Last year in May she was arrested following a demonstration over high tuition fees. She was denied bail and spent two weeks in the remand prison in Bindura. This time around its alleged she was threatened with rape and told she would be infected with the deadly HIV virus if she continued to harbour, ‘terrorists,’ a reference to Mkwananzi and Chiweshe. A ZINASU statement said the state security agents then left in a Mazda Eagle twin cab vehicle, which did not have any number plates. Several student leaders are now in hiding fearing for their lives.

Meanwhile 17 students from the Masvingo State University appeared at the magistrate’s court in the city on Monday. They were facing charges of inciting other students to protest against tuition fee increases. Their lawyers wanted the matter referred to the Supreme Court citing the fact the students had a constitutional right to free expression and association. The court however turned down this argument saying the students can only appeal once a verdict is made. The students were remanded out of custody until the 26th September.

More assaults were reported by ZINASU who say university security guards at Masvingo State University beat up student leaders Gideon Chitanga, Witlaw Mugwiji and Edson Hlatshwayo for distributing flyers. The trio were part of a campaign team canvassing support from students ahead of elections set for the 5th of April. It’s alleged the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union, a suspected ZANU PF controlled union, hired youth militia who are not students at the campus to roam around the university campaigning for their candidates.