ZINASU President and others arrested

The arrest of student leaders is continuing two days after the planned prayer meeting pencilled for the famous Zimbabwe Grounds on Sunday 11  March 2007. The meeting was barred by heavily armed police. Following the barring of this meeting, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) Information and Publicity Secretary, Lynnett Mudehwe was arrested together with other pro-democracy activists in Highfields, Harare.

26 students from Seke Teachers College, led by a ZINASU general council member, Mehluli Dube who is the Student Representative Council (SRC) vice president of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) were arrested near Makoni Shopping Centre in Chitungwiza on their way to the Zimbabwe Grounds for the prayer meeting. They were held for the whole day and later on released at around 1800hrs without any charges. We believe this was an attempt by police to frustrate the attendance at the prayer meeting.

Gideon Chitanga, the ZINASU vice president together with 4 other students were picked up at Masvingo Polytechnic College on Monday 12 March 2007. The student leaders in Masvingo were mobilising against the unwarranted arrests, torture and murder of human rights defenders.

Today at around 1000hrs the ZINASU president, Promise Mkwananzi and secretary general Beloved Chiweshe were arrested at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) while rallying students to march into the city centre to demand a pronto release of opposition, civic society and student leaders. 4 other student leaders and activists are in police custody in Harare. This brings the total number of students in police detention to 37.

Information Desk
Zimbabwe National Students Union
21 Wembly Road, Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe,
0026391301231/ 002634788135
zinasu@gmail.com
www.zinasu.org