Students boycott classes and WOZA protest in Gweru

By Violet Gonda
5 March 2007

Class boycotts organised by the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) kicked off countrywide on Monday. ZINASU president Promise Mkwananzi said the strike, which brought the tertiary institutions to a standstill was 100% successful. Both the students and lecturers in state universities are boycotting classes over un-affordable tuition fees and salaries.

There was a heavy presence of police and youth militia who were intimidating students milling around campus at institutions like the University of Zimbabwe. Mkwananzi said there were running battles between students and police in Bulawayo forcing the student leadership to go into hiding.

Students from Bulawayo’s National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo Polytechnic, Harare Polytechnic, including state colleges and universities in Masvingo, Gweru, Kwekwe and Mutare are said to be on strike.

State security forces have been embarking on a victimisation campaign which has resulted in some of the activists being suspended or arrested.

In a related issue three student leaders from the University of Zimbabwe who were arrested on campus last Wednesday, were released on bail on Monday after appearing in court. Tineyi Mukwewa the UZ student president, Trevor Murai the treasurer-general and Lovemore Chinapitsa another student activist were released five days later after paying Z$50 000 bail each.

The student movement said they will continue with class boycotts and demonstrations until their demands are met. The ZINASU president said: “The idea is to have a sustainable campaign in terms of the stay-aways from colleges which the police cannot immediately bring to a halt. And at the same time while the strike is going on the students will hold sporadic street protests as a way to pile pressure on the government.”

Meanwhile over 100 WOZA members marched in Gweru on Monday to launch their People’s Charter and to encourage people to join in the struggle for social justice. The pressure group said at least 20 people were arrested after police used brutal force to disperse the peaceful marchers. The group said in a statement: “Several of those in custody were beaten, but the extent of their injuries is not yet known. Lawyers are in attendance at the police station. It appears that some of those arrested were not WOZA members but by-standers, but the details are not yet available.”

In other news, eight Zimbabwe Christian Alliance church leaders who were arrested in Kadoma last month appeared in court on Monday. They were arrested during a church meeting under the Public Order and Security Act - on allegations of wanting to incite violence. Three Pastors; Watson Mugabe, Pius Wakatama and Ray Motsi were remanded on bail until 23rd April while the other five, Ancelom Magaya (visually impaired), Gerald Mubaira, Zvizai Chiponda, Lawrence Berejena and Mr Jonah Gokova, had their charges dropped.

The Alliance had gone to Kadoma to launch a chapter of the organisation as part of a countrywide drive to establish Christian leaders’ networks.

The Zimbabwe Christian Alliance is the group that is bringing the pro-democracy groups together under the Save Zimbabwe Campaign.