News / Local
Student drags ZEGU to court for not speaking in tongues
15 Nov 2021 at 05:26hrs | Views
A-STUDENT at the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU) has dragged the learning institution to court after she was allegedly barred from participating in the student executive council elections for failure to speak in tongues, among other accusations.
Modester Zinhanga (21) has since filed an urgent chamber application seeking an interdict for the elections, accusing ZEGU for illegally barring her from taking part in the elections.
According to court papers filed on November 10, Zinhanga said she was disqualified for not being a member of the ZAOGA congregation, which runs the university.
"The applicant has been disqualified by respondents from participating in the upcoming elections for the students executive council, which is a body governing students. Reasons for the disqualification are such that the applicant is not a member of ZAOGA, and has not shown any evidence of speaking in tongues , is not a born again and spirit filled, and therefore does not qualify to run for elections in order to be part of the students executive council," read the court papers.
ZEGU officials Innocent Chinyemba and Zacharia Zunguze are cited as second and third respondents respectively in the case being held under HC/6306/21.
The tertiary learning institution is owned by ZAOGA church.
In her founding affidavit, Zinhanga said the disqualification is a violation of her rights.
"Grounds for dismissal preferred by the respondents are a clear violation of my rights, and these cannot stand the constitutionality test, irrespective of any argument whatsoever. It is my view that everyone must be afforded an equal chance and benefit of the law as is set out under Section 56 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
"The decision taken by the third respondent is contrary to the purpose of the First Respondent, which as a doyen of intellectual excellence is to prepare young adults for all career paths. Clearly, getting a chance to participate in students and/or governance prepares me and exposes me to the main framework of national politics and governance which is my preferred career path," she said.
The case is yet to be heard.
Modester Zinhanga (21) has since filed an urgent chamber application seeking an interdict for the elections, accusing ZEGU for illegally barring her from taking part in the elections.
According to court papers filed on November 10, Zinhanga said she was disqualified for not being a member of the ZAOGA congregation, which runs the university.
"The applicant has been disqualified by respondents from participating in the upcoming elections for the students executive council, which is a body governing students. Reasons for the disqualification are such that the applicant is not a member of ZAOGA, and has not shown any evidence of speaking in tongues , is not a born again and spirit filled, and therefore does not qualify to run for elections in order to be part of the students executive council," read the court papers.
ZEGU officials Innocent Chinyemba and Zacharia Zunguze are cited as second and third respondents respectively in the case being held under HC/6306/21.
In her founding affidavit, Zinhanga said the disqualification is a violation of her rights.
"Grounds for dismissal preferred by the respondents are a clear violation of my rights, and these cannot stand the constitutionality test, irrespective of any argument whatsoever. It is my view that everyone must be afforded an equal chance and benefit of the law as is set out under Section 56 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
"The decision taken by the third respondent is contrary to the purpose of the First Respondent, which as a doyen of intellectual excellence is to prepare young adults for all career paths. Clearly, getting a chance to participate in students and/or governance prepares me and exposes me to the main framework of national politics and governance which is my preferred career path," she said.
The case is yet to be heard.
Source - NewsDay Zimbabwe
