UZ expels and suspends student leaders

By Lance Guma
15 May 2007

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe Levi Nyagura, announced his return from a holiday in Lesotho by expelling an aspiring student leader and suspending at least 8 other candidates. According to Zwelithini Viki, an Information Officer in the students representative council, Terence Chimhavi has been expelled over Thursday’s demonstration at the university. Eight others including Rocki Chikate, Kudakwashe Mapundu Shingai, Dominic Shumba and Sambulo Matema were all suspended over the same issue. Students and riot police clashed after university security guards allegedly disrupted a peaceful campaign rally ahead of student council elections.

By expelling and suspending three quarters of the candidates running for election, authorities have effectively confirmed fears government is sponsoring its own candidates to take over the student’s council. Viki confirmed reading at least three suspension letters and says some of the other students are yet to get theirs. The students say Nyagura has gone into the history books as the Vice Chancellor who has expelled and suspended the most number of student activists. Viki says the students have already approached the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) to challenge the suspensions in court.

Meanwhile two University of Zimbabwe student leaders, Proper Munatsi and Munyaradzi Chikorohondo who were arrested last week Thursday, are still in police custody. This is despite a High Court ruling ordering their release within 24 hours. Defence lawyers launched an urgent chamber application after police on Monday denied them access to their clients. Justice Chatukuta granted the order but by late Tuesday afternoon the students remained in detention. Earlier in the day state prosecutors refused to prosecute after the students were brought to court, saying the students had not violated the Public Order and Security Act and the caser had to be dealt with as an internal matter for university. The police are said to have ignored the prosecutor’s opinion and instead sought to get a warrant to extend the students detention.

In a related development, two students unions from South Africa were in the country to secretly observe conditions under which students in Zimbabwe are living. The South Africa Students Congress (SASCO) with links to the African National Congress and South Africa Union of Students (SAUS) held a joint press conference with ZINASU Tuesday at the Transparency International Offices in Harare. The two unions expressed their shock following first hand observations of the situation in Zimbabwe. The delegation is said to have visited resettled farms, colleges and most of the universities in Zimbabwe and even participated in the ZINASU General Council meeting as observers.

SAUS said they will organise a demonstration in Pretoria and Cape Town over the wanton human rights violations in Zimbabwe. ZINASU president Promise Mkwananzi meanwhile is in Ghana attending the 41st session of the African Commission on People and Human Rights. The students say he is scheduled to meet Ghanaian President John Kufuor, the current chair of the African Union, and brief him on developments in the country.