Zinasu condemns 'illegal and undemocratic' expulsions of students

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has condemned what it describes as an orchestrated assault on student activism, following a spate of suspensions and expulsions at major state universities. In a statement issued by its president, Emmanuel Sitima, the union accused institutions such as the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Midlands State University (MSU), and Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) of unlawfully punishing students for engaging in constitutionally protected political and civic activity.

Sitima said the actions taken by university authorities amount to a clear violation of students' rights under the Constitution of Zimbabwe and international human rights law. He described the recent incidents as part of a "deliberate and systematic effort to criminalize dissent and suppress the agency of students as political and civic actors."

At MSU, five students were dismissed for allegedly mobilizing others to join ZINASU. At GZU, disciplinary action was taken against students who challenged institutional authorities via a WhatsApp group. Most recently, six students at the University of Zimbabwe were indefinitely suspended after staging a peaceful protest in support of lecturers who have been on strike since April, demanding a salary increase and better working conditions.

Sitima emphasized that the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) guarantees freedom of expression, assembly, and peaceful protest, protections which he said are being flagrantly disregarded by university administrations. He also highlighted Section 61(1)(c) of the Constitution, which protects academic freedom, calling on universities to uphold their role as spaces for critical thinking and democratic engagement.

"These rights are not privileges conferred at the discretion of university authorities, but inviolable entitlements of all citizens, including students," Sitima stated.

He warned that such expulsions not only undermine Zimbabwe's democratic values but also breach the country's obligations under international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, both of which safeguard freedoms of expression and association.

Sitima said the use of disciplinary proceedings to silence political expression mirrors authoritarian governance and should be condemned in the strongest terms. He called for the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all suspended and expelled students and demanded an independent investigation into the alleged abuse of university disciplinary processes for political ends.

He also urged the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to issue firm guarantees ensuring the protection of student rights as enshrined in the national constitution.

Sitima concluded by announcing that ZINASU is currently engaging with civic organisations and democratic movements to develop a coordinated response to what he described as an escalating repression of student voices. He encouraged students to remain peaceful but resolute in their demand for democratic freedom, insisting that university campuses must be preserved as bastions of inquiry, freedom, and civic participation.