Rural Teachers Union Condemns Eviction Of CUT Students To Pave Way For ZANU PF Conference

The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has condemned the decision by Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) to evict students from on-campus accommodation to make way for delegates attending the ZANU PF 23rd National People’s Conference.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, ARTUZ interim secretary-general Munyaradzi Masiyiwa said they had noted with grave concern the eviction of all students from university residences, including fully paid-up students and final year students working on dissertations and research projects.

The union described the move as a direct attack on the right to education and the dignity of young people.

“The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe notes with grave concern and condemnation the decision by Chinhoyi University of Technology to evict all students from on-campus residences to accommodate delegates to the ZANU PF 23rd National People’s Conference,” Masiyiwa said.

“We are particularly disturbed that this eviction affects fully paid-up students, including final year students working on dissertations and research projects. This is a direct attack on the right to education and the dignity of our young people.”

ARTUZ urged the ruling party to lead by example and prioritise education, saying party conferences and national events should be held in venues that do not displace students or disrupt learning.

“You cannot build a nation by manufacturing pain and instability for the very young people who are supposed to lead it tomorrow,” the union said.

Masiyiwa said students who have paid for accommodation have a right to occupy it for the duration of the semester, warning that the abrupt eviction exposes students to financial strain, insecurity and academic disruption.

He called on the CUT administration to immediately secure alternative, safe and decent accommodation for all affected students at the university’s cost, ensure that no student is academically prejudiced, especially those in their final year, and guarantee that public tertiary institutions will never again be used at the expense of students for political events.

“Education is a public good. Tertiary institutions must remain centres of learning, not collateral for political convenience,” the statement read.

“ARTUZ stands in full solidarity with the students of Chinhoyi University of Technology. We demand urgent reversal of this decision and humane treatment of all affected students. An attack on students is an attack on teachers, and an attack on the future of Zimbabwe.”