News / National
CIOs harass UZ student leaders over Grace Mugabe's PhD
12 Oct 2014 at 11:59hrs | Views
Suspected Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operatives have been calling and trying to visit Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) president, Gilbert Mutubuki and his spokesperson Avoid Masiraha.
The students believe the harassment is in connection with regarding Grace Mugabe's recently awarded doctoral degree from UZ.
The CIO visited Mutubuki's residence in Mt Pleasant during the night but did not find him. They left a message with a friend that they wanted him for some discussions. This followed regular calls from private numbers quizzing Mutubuki about what made students doubt the first lady's PhD.
"I continue to receive anonymous calls from private numbers asking if I have evidence that some PhDs, including that of the first lady, were not deserved. If one links the calls to the visit at my place by men in suits and dark glasses, it would be reasonable to suspect the visitors had bad intentions," said Mutubuki.
Masiraha said: "The callers quizzed me about this PhD issue as they want to establish why we are discrediting the awards."
Given these ongoing threats, the students are struggling to come to terms with the recent death of Godfrey "Flawa" Makawa, 21, whose dead body was found in a swimming pool at the campus recently.
The third year science student was found under water fully clothed. Zinasu suspects that he might have been murdered before being thrown into the swimming pool to conceal evidence. Masiraha said Godfrey's death exposed weaknesses in the campus security system particularly on issues that concern student welfare.
"Levy Nyagura, the UZ Vice Chancellor should resign because he has failed dismally to preserve the reputation of a once vibrant intellectual beacon," he said.
Sources at the UZ said CIO threats directed at Zinasu leadership could be linked to Zanu-PF succession battles and warned that if not protected, students might be "trampled by the fighting elephants."
The students believe the harassment is in connection with regarding Grace Mugabe's recently awarded doctoral degree from UZ.
The CIO visited Mutubuki's residence in Mt Pleasant during the night but did not find him. They left a message with a friend that they wanted him for some discussions. This followed regular calls from private numbers quizzing Mutubuki about what made students doubt the first lady's PhD.
"I continue to receive anonymous calls from private numbers asking if I have evidence that some PhDs, including that of the first lady, were not deserved. If one links the calls to the visit at my place by men in suits and dark glasses, it would be reasonable to suspect the visitors had bad intentions," said Mutubuki.
Masiraha said: "The callers quizzed me about this PhD issue as they want to establish why we are discrediting the awards."
Given these ongoing threats, the students are struggling to come to terms with the recent death of Godfrey "Flawa" Makawa, 21, whose dead body was found in a swimming pool at the campus recently.
The third year science student was found under water fully clothed. Zinasu suspects that he might have been murdered before being thrown into the swimming pool to conceal evidence. Masiraha said Godfrey's death exposed weaknesses in the campus security system particularly on issues that concern student welfare.
"Levy Nyagura, the UZ Vice Chancellor should resign because he has failed dismally to preserve the reputation of a once vibrant intellectual beacon," he said.
Sources at the UZ said CIO threats directed at Zinasu leadership could be linked to Zanu-PF succession battles and warned that if not protected, students might be "trampled by the fighting elephants."
Source - thezimbabwean
