12 July 2007

By Lance Guma

Students at the University of Zimbabwe Wednesday filed an urgent application in the High Court challenging the eviction of over 4000 residents who were living on campus. On Monday armed police gave students 30 minutes to remove their possessions from the hostels.

This followed violent protests on Sunday, which saw the destruction of property estimated to be over Z$2 billion. Students are resisting moves to make them pay an extra Z$1 million for a semester extension, caused by a lecturers strike over poor pay.

Rangu Nyamurundira from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is handling the latest court challenge and says this is not the first time they have made one. Two weeks ago they challenged an eviction notice issued by the university, which at the time was threatening students who had not paid the top up fees.

Nyamurundira said in that matter Justice Tedius Karwi ruled the application was not urgent. This week the matter goes before Justice Ben Hlatshwayo, a former lecturer in the faculty of law studies at the University of Zimbabwe. No court date has been set yet as Hlatshwayo has to first decide if the matter is urgent.

In the meantime Promise Mkwananzi who leads the Zimbabwe National Students Union told Newsreel they have decided to make the welfare of students their first priority before they can even think of mobilising for more protests. He said the possibility of immediate protest was slim as most students are pre-occupied with trying to address their personal circumstances. Once they have secured alternative arrangements it will give them the impetus to soldier on.

The student community has already been broken up by the evictions and a meeting with the Dean of Students on Wednesday confirmed long held fears the university might close the halls of residence for good. According to Mkwananzi the Dean said the authorities were blaming students living on campus for creating most of the unrest and that closing the hostels permanently was a likely option. The university has also issued notices advising those who had paid the top up fees that they will have their money refunded.

Meanwhile six student leaders arrested over the disturbances on campus last Sunday were released on Z$1 million bail. They will next appear in court on the 1st August. - SW Radio Africa.

Nehanda Radio: Zimbabwe's first 24 hour internet radio news channel.

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