The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has condemned the passage into law of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), branding it “anti-student, anti-youth and anti-citizen”.
ZINASU president Liberty Hamauswa said that the union had noted “with disgust” the enactment of the amendment, which he claims will “lock young people out of decision-making tables” and erode checks and balances on those in authority.
“This is not a matter of optics, but of principle,” he said. “The amendment’s lack of citizen buy-in highlights a great betrayal of the people.”
Hamauswa said the timing of the amendment was particularly damaging, given the state of higher education. He cited chronic underfunding of the education sector, the “silencing of dissenting voices” and shrinking economic opportunities for graduates as reasons why young people could not “leave our future to chance”.
ZINASU is now calling for a referendum on the amendment and has announced plans to mobilise young people around what it termed “the restoration of democracy”.
“It is time for all students and young people to be agitated, to unite and to reclaim our future,” Hamauswa wrote.
He said ZINASU is willing to work with “all progressive forces and citizens” and would announce its next steps “in due course”.
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