“In the lion’s den!” – Joint press release from ZINASU and the SST
This was jointly released by ZINASU (Zimbabwe National Student’s Union) and the Students Solidarity Trust (SST):
In the Lion’s Den!
Students remanded in custody for 16 daysIn the midst of Bindura, on the way to Chipadze Township – stands an outstanding billboard, with a menacing figure spotting it. Inscribed on the billboard is a message that sends shivers to any passer by – Zanu PF chete muBindura (in proper speak: Welcome to ZANU PF hinterland). It is a permanent feature of Zanu PF’s political commissar and Bindura Member of Parliament, Elliot Manyika.
At the Kimberly Reef Hotel, a threatening group of Zanu PF youths sit idle in the Cocopan cocktail bar. The hotel is just opposite the Bindura magistrates’ courts. Early in the morning, they had staged a demonstration outside the courts, clamoring for the continued incarceration of students from Bindura University. The ZANU PF lambent youths had earlier on, threatened lawyers representing students, warning them never to set foot in Bindura again, or to do so at their own peril. Alec Muchadehama and Andrew Makoni are representing the students – they had to flee from the cauldron of Bindura!
Zimbabwe’s Minister without Portfolio, Zanu PF’s political commissar and controversially elected Member of Parliament for Bindura, Elliot Manyika, is reported to have given a directive that the students should not be released and threatened the Magistrate with unspecified action if that directive was not followed. Sources hold that the Magistrate was later heard bragging in the Cocopan cocktail bar that the students would be released over his dead body.
The students at the Bindura University of Science and Technology staged a peaceful demonstration at the campus, demanding a reversal of the anti-students and ill-advised fees structure, which is beyond the reach of ordinary students. 19 students were arrested at the campus on Monday, and additional 29 students have been detained, amongst them the remaining members of the Students Representative Council.
The students, who include the newly elected ZINASU Secretary General from Bulawayo’s National University of Science and Technology, Beloved Chiweshe, have been remanded in custody to the 26th of May 2006! A move that is unprecedented in the history of the students’ movement in Zimbabwe. Beloved, who was clearly tortured, is said to have been kept in solitary confinement. A visibly shaken, but hardly recognizable Beloved, stationed in the dock, is in dire need of medical attention, which he is being denied access to, even after court officials were told that it would not be at the state’s expense.
At the main campus in Bindura – a tension filled atmosphere grips the University. At the entrance is a nerve-racking group of AK47 wielding riot police. Business in the campus is at a standstill, with the University still coming to terms with the explosion that rocked the faculty of commerce department – by unknown assailants. It is a rubble!
On the road to Mt. Darwin is the University’s residential campus – which resembles a war zone. Riot police put all the students under 24hours surveillance, tantamount to a house arrest. A group of students, weary faced, sit on the rugged terrain, surrounded by a swathe of riot police – they are uncompromising.
These sad developments are coupled by other acts of politically motivated student victimizations at other tertiary intuitions. The sad developments ride on the back of the ZINASU congress, which took place from the 3rd to the 5th of May, where it was resolved that students would reject the unbecoming new fees structures, as it was an affront not only to academic freedoms, but also the sacrosanct right to education.
In the past week alone, 4 student leaders and Activists have been suspended from Masvingo State University, 7 from the University of Zimbabwe, and the arrest of 48 students leaders who were delegates to the ZINASU congress, including the Coordinator of ZINASU, Washington Katema, SST Program Officer Simbarashe Moyo, and Information liaison Committee member Charlse Mutengwa, over a damaged Mugabe portrait.
The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), and the Students Solidarity Trust (SST), calls upon the head of state, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, and the Minister of Home Affairs Kembo Mohadi, to use their authority to persuade the police to rescind from harassing, torturing, and wantonly violating the fundamental human rights and arresting students, who are merely trying to affirm their right to education through peaceful protest. The ZINASU and SST further calls upon, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in his capacity as the Chancellor of state universities, and Stanslius Gorerazvo Mudenge, the minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, to recant the new fees structure, as it is clear unsustainable, and an unnecessary assault on the right to education.
Related articles:
SW Radio Africa: Computer lab burnt as students react in fury to police brutality
Zimbabwejournalists.com: NCA activists and students arrested in separate protests in Harare and Bindura
VOA news: Tension Rises Following Zimbabwe Student Protests in Provincial Bindura
May 13th, 2006 13:11
how can we fight agnst this tyranny when our african brothers fight agnst us
if there is xenophobia day the south africans celebrate it everyday of the year then the bastwana celebrate it twice a day
June 10th, 2006 13:01
We are representing a Movement group called Free-Zim.Free-Zim was a thought by combined Youths of Zimbabwe in the Diaspora that its their civic right to be heavily, and to be on the fore-front of the political revolution in their motherland,in solidality with our fellow youths back home.FreeZim has a number of objectives both short and long term
short-term
-to stage a political awareness campaign aimed at young Zimbabweans in the diaspora
-to call and stage a campaign for unity among Zimbabweans regardless of race,tribe to unite and restore democracy and sanity in Zimbabwe.
-To mobilise all Zimbabweans in diaspora to rally behind any demos in solidarity with our families and fellow Zimbas back home.
-Tirelessly stage a campaign calling on the international community to directly intervene in the Zim crisis.
-To stage an attack on african leaders,AU,SADC and UN for their quite diplomacy towards Mugabe who is holding guns for innocent civilians.
-We the youth of Zimbabwe we demand the immediate disband and closure of the Evil Border Gezi camp(the breeding camp for Mugabe’s mafia)
-To push and demand a constitutional reform.
-Free all political prisoners.
Long-term(the aftermath)New Zimbabwe
-To push and campaign for politically conscious nation.
-Repatriation policies(directly focusing on encouraging Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to repatriate back to Zim and rebuild our motherland,by investing through professions,skills and Entrepreneurship also seeing the New Gvt putting some incentives to encourage repatriation.
-To campaign and push for a reform on educational and Health system.
-To see the New Gvt investing more on youth(future-zim).
-We the youth we demand an independent commission of enquiry of allthe war crimes committed in Zimbabwe(if the truth is told, we the youth will grow)
-To fight for the right to access health and affordable education.
Its now or never we the Youth of Zimbabwe think alot of demand has been done by the current regime its time for them to pack and go.Its time for the future generation to stand-up and demand whats rightfully ours,we love our country and would want to go back ad develop our motherland.So we need to unite and rally behind efforts to push Baba Chatunga(Mugabe-the modern day hitler)out for he is the stumbling block for peace and prosperity not only for Zim but for Africa as a whole.As long Africans are being in bondage by their leaders Africa will never be free.
So we are calling for all Zim youths to unite and chat the way forward,we will be organising rallies and demostrations all across the UK to spread the movement,also we will be going into colleges,Universities and schools in the UK focusing on creating a political conscious environment where all concerned not only Zimbabweans could debate and propose a diplomatic reform for a New Zimbabwe.And also we will be coordinating with our fellow youth movements,civic rights org,students union back home.Free-Zim is a unity movement,we strongly conderm tribalism and racism we wish to build a New Zimbabwe with a culture of tolerance ,we wish to see all Zimbabweans Youths to unite not to inherite a evil culture of tribalism which was created by Mugabe,we are all Zimbabweans, Lets think like the next generation guys!!
And remember our motto all the way towards a New Zimbabwe “divided he rules” “United Mugabe the modern day Hitler goes”
Be part of the movement
Contacts
Brighton Branch
Alois Phiri 07960333568
Wellington Chibanguza 07706868955
London Branch
Chipo Mudiwa 07904395496
Yewu 07940437496
Luton Branch
Queen Mutizwa 07984368029
freezim6@yahoo.co.uk
July 31st, 2006 00:01
I feel like we’re getting nowhere with this politeness called diplomacy, loads of demonstration, which are nolonger attracting so many people.I would like to think that even Mugabe himself is tiered of these demos.I think what we need is some robust action. A once and for all thing.
Mtape
August 2nd, 2006 17:08
A Letter to Prime-Minister Tony Blair from Zimbabwean Youth(Free-Zim)
28th July 2006
The Right Honourable Tony Blair MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Dear Prime Minister,
We are young Zimbabweans living in the United Kingdom. We were forced into exile by the regime of Robert Mugabe and long for the day when we can return home and join in the rebuilding of Zimbabwe. We speak for our brothers and sisters still living back home whose voices are silenced by violence and fear under the Zanu PF rule of terror.
We want to let you know that we have no faith in the so-called process of mediation between Zimbabwe and the UK recently announced at the African Union meeting in Banjul. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa have either conspired with Robert Mugabe or been hoodwinked into the appointment of Ben Mkapa the former President of Tanzania as mediator between our two countries. We want to assure you that the people of Zimbabwe don’t have an argument with the people of the UK or with your government; our struggle is against the tyranny and corruption of Robert Mugabe’s regime.
Ben Mkapa was hand-picked by Robert Mugabe. He has made many statements expressing support for Robert Mugabe even going so far as to praise the economic policies that have led to our people dying beneath the burden of 1200% inflation.
Ben Mkapa deliberately misleads the people of Africa by stating that there are sanctions against Zimbabwe. This is not true. The sanctions imposed by the EU are against the clique of Zanu PF party leaders and collaborators who deny our fundamental freedoms and it is their greed for power that has brought Zimbabwe to ruins. We support the measures that you have taken against the men and women who are destroying Zimbabwe.
Robert Mugabe will never listen to the democratically expressed voice of the people of Zimbabwe. Through the ballot box we have tried to tell him that it is time for him to go but he tears up our messages and fills the boxes with love-letters to himself.
Prime Minister, as young Zimbabweans we ask you to join us in exposing the appointment of Ben Mkapa as mediator by Robert Mugabe as yet another propaganda offensive designed to divert attention from his own failure. We ask you to challenge leaders of African nations to dismiss the Mkapa process of mediation as false. For the sake of our country and our continent the time has come for the leaders of the African Union to be honest, face up to reality and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Zimbabwe in our struggle for liberation from Mugabe’s regime.
When you meet African leaders please add your voice to ours and tell them that we, the young people who are the future of Zimbabwe, demand that they isolate Robert Mugabe who has betrayed us and show their solidarity with us the people of Zimbabwe.
Yours sincerely,
Alois Phiri Mbawara
Wellington Chibanguza
Yeukai Taruvinga
Chipo Mudiwa
Noble Sibanda
Nicholas Ndebele
August 3rd, 2006 11:06
student unionism is about to die in zimbabwe owing to the disrespect in accordance with the tyrannical manner in which universities are run we are gradually experiencing a state of affairs where activisim is replaced by paper unionism especiall at masvingo state university
May 15th, 2007 15:34
yeah yeah yeah!!!
May 15th, 2007 21:54
Please send me the name and address of a family in financial dire straits who I could send a few dollars for food.