Chinhoyi students and VP released while government hunts for student leaders

By Tererai Karimakwenda
23 May 2006

Diana Tasiyana, the Vice President of Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) who was arrested along with several students on Friday is reported to have been released by the police. She was being questioned about the unrest and violence that took place at Bindura University last week. It is not clear whether the police will pursue the case any further.

But the hunt for students suspected of participating or organising the Bindura incident in which a computer lab was burned down has continued. As we reported, the U.Z. president of the students council Tineyi Mukweva was arrested Monday. There are now allegations that he was assaulted by university security staff before they handed him over to agents from the law and order department. Washington Katema, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) coordinator told us Mukweva was assaulted in a control room at the Harare campus. He has been transferred to Bindura and a lawyer has been dispatched to handle his case. Police are questioning him about last week’s Bindura incident as well.
Katema also told us that the police are still hunting down ZINASU president Promise Mkwananzi and the Bindura Student Representative Council (SRC) president Givemore Chari. A statement by ZINASU said a warrant of arrest was issued for the entire student leadership who were elected at the congress last week. Many who attended that event are reported to be hiding as state agents continue to hunt them down. Students believe the government is just an excuse to intimidate them and divert attention from the real issue, which is unaffordable tuition.

The 100 members of the pressure group the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) who were arrested last Thursday have also been released. The group is demanding a new constitution for Zimbabwe and they vow they will not stop. NCA officials and members have been arrested many times while demonstrating but they will continue to do so.