NCA Archives: Harare Polytechnic students stop Commission meeting

''We have generations to protect and we cannot
be part of this partisan commission
Harare Polytechnic SRC President Nelson Chamisa

Daily News 18 September 1999

Staff Reporters

About 200 Harare Polytechnic students yesterday stopped members of the Constitution Commission from holding a meeting at the campus.

Commissioners Ona Jirira and Violet Madzimbamuto and two commission officials had to abandon their meeting when students entered the hall singing and whistling.

The students grabbed the Commission leaflets and copies of the Lancaster House Constitution from the tables and destroyed them.

The Commission immediately condemned the action, saying it was a violation of the rights of those wishing to air their views.

Emy Tsanga, of the Commission’s media and information sub-committee, said it was shocking that students, while calling for democracy and change, were the first to act against these principles.

‘’If the students are calling for democracy, then they should be the first to practise it,’’ she said.

Last month the Minister without Portfolio, Eddison Zvobgo and Professor Walter Kamba, the Commission’s vice-chairman, abandoned another meeting at the polytechnic for the same reasons.

A few weeks ago, University of Zimbabwe students disrupted a meeting of the Commission on the campus and destroyed its documents.

Tsanga said it was clear, from the student’s actions, that they were not willing to let others present their views on the new constitution. She could not say whether the commission would try to hold another meeting at the college.

The students said they could not accept the commission if issues of concern to them were resolved. These include representation on the Commission and the formulation of the legal instrument guaranteeing the people’s views would be included in the constitution.

‘’It cannot be an acceptable commission that leaves out students, labour leaders, and other political parties,’’ said Sanderson Makombe an academic officers officer in the Students’ Representative Council (SRC). The students jeered the commissioners, saying they could not give their views to a partisan group.

‘’We have generations to protect and we cannot be part of this partisan commission,’’ Nelson Chamisa SRC president, told the commissioners.

Chamisa jumped on the table used by the commissioners.’’ You are implants of Zanu PF who are masquerading as genuine, non-partisan commissioners.

Thereafter the students followed the commissioners to their bus, shouting abuse.

Chamisa said student representatives in   tertiary institutions had agreed in June not to give their views to the Commission. ‘’ That is why we gave the commission marching orders last month,’’ he said.

The students said they were bitter about the daily allowances   paid to commissioners. Makombe said: ‘’They are getting $750 allowances per day and yet students at this college are given the same amount for the whole term.’’

Jirira said the Commission would ask the students willing to make submissions to do so in writing.

Nb-this article was taken from the Daily News dated 18 September 1999