Plot to oust ZINASU leader backfires
Published on: 28th August, 2009
Plot to oust ZINASU leader backfires | Related News
By Never Kadungure
A plot to oust Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) president Clever Bere has backfired with 8 out of 10 executive members pledging their support to him. Only gender secretary Privilege Mutanga and Vice President Brilliant Dube have rebelled. Another rebel student leader Lovemore Chinoputsa is said to have been ousted as Secretary General some time ago in June this year.
Nehanda Radio can reveal that respected civic society leaders Arnold Tsunga and Jacob Mafume are behind a boardroom campaign to control student affairs in the country. Because they control most of the donor funding for ZINASU Tsunga and Mafume are accused of acting like political godfathers and trying to influence events in the union.
London based SW Radio Africa pitted Clever Bere and Brilliant Dube who claims to be the new ZINASU president in a radio debate. Bere in the programme claimed they had attempted to replace Tsunga in the board to get someone with new ideas but he resisted the move. Bere said different generations of students could not keep getting advice from the same person.
During an extra-ordinary general council meeting convened last Saturday Tsunga is said to have flown back into the country and allegedly sponsored thugs who assaulted innocent students daring to back Bere. In one such incident Archford Mudzengi the President of the Zimbabwe School of Mines was reported to have been seriously assaulted.
In another twist to the story Nehanda Radio can reveal that some of the board members now stubbornly hanging on to office had actually resigned themselves while others had been relieved of their duties. We have been told;
“Otto Saki resigned from the ZINASU board on the 1st of July and we are in possession of his resignation letter that he signed. Dzikamai Machingura also officially resigned from the board on the 2nd of July 2009. Gorden Moyo was also relieved of his duties because he is now a government minister. Chinoputsa was no longer a board member as he had a vote of no confidence passed on him at the 20 June general council meeting.”
The letter also says Saturday’s meeting “was held illegally without the blessings of the president (who also sits in the board) and the executive. The actions of all the people who attended this meeting were meant to undermine decisions and resolutions made by the national executive council.”
Despite the turmoil most students around the country said they were behind Bere and his executive. “The problem Brilliant Dube, Privilege Mutanga and Lovemore Chinoputsa have is that despite enjoying the donor funding oozing from Tsunga and Mafume, they do not have the numbers and support. Students in the colleges and universities do not even know them and will identify more easily with Bere and company. To make matters worse Dube lacks the charisma and intellect to be a ZINASU leader,” an observer who refused to be named said.
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Brilliant Dube and Chinoputsa ndeve kupenga Privy please leave them alone
THIS IS BULL!!!!!! WHO CAN EVER BELIEVE THAT TSUNGA CAN HIRE THUGS TO BEAT UP POOR STUDENTS WHOSE RIGHTS HE HAS FOUGHT SO LONG TO DEFEND AT NO PERSONAL BENEFIT. WHO DOESNT KNOW THAT CLEVER BERE WAS IN THE HABIT OF BEATING UP ZINASU EMPLOYEES DURING HIS TENURE AS PRESIDENT. AND THAT ON THIS FATEFUL DAY HE HIRED TWO MINI BUSES WITH HELP OF HIS ACCOMPLICE MADDOCK TO TRANSPORT HIS THUGS TO TRY AND DISRUPT THE MEETING WERE HE WAS OUSTED DUE TO SOUR GRAPES. THIS REPORTING IS PEDZISAI RWANYAs MALICIOUS WORK. NOONE CAN TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY EVEN IF HE HAS GOT THE SUPPORT OF A FEW MISGUIDED MEDIA PLAYERS LIKE LANCE. BERE INHERITED A LIVING ZINASU NOW HE WANTS TO LEAVE IT DEAD. PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS BEFORE HIM PROMISE MUKWANANZI WASHINGTON KATEMA AND P ZAMUCHIYA WORKED HARD TO BUILD AN INSTITUTION AND LEFT A LEGACY WHICH BERE WANTS TO DESTROY. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO CHANGE THE COMPOSITION OF BOARD MEMBERS AS WE ALL KNOW PERPETUAL SUCCESSION IS NEEDED FOR ANY INSTITUTION TO SURVIVE BUT THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN A PROPER WAY ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SERVED ZINASU WITH SUCH DISTINCTION. IN ANY CASE THE BOARD IS MERELY ADVISORY AND WIELDS NO POLITICAL INFLUENCE AT ALL IN ZINASU.
IF BERE IS A GOOD LEADER WHY WOULD HE LET A SINGLE PASSING ISSUE OF THE CONSTITUTION DESTROY ZINASU. WHY WOULD HE SURRENDER THE STUDENTS MOVEMENT TO BE USED AS A TOOL TO FIGHT OTHER ORGANISATIONS CAUSES WHILE FORGETTING THE CORE BUSINESS OF ZINASU TO DEFEND STUDENTS FREEDOMS. WHY WOULD HE USE DONOR FUNDS FOR HIS PERSONAL GAIN AND MAKE UNILATERAL DECISIONS WITHOUT CONSULTATION WITH HIS CONSTITUENCY. TYRANNY!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST EVER FEMALE PRESIDENT BRILLIANT DUBE……U HAVE OUR SOLID SUPPORT IN DEFENDING ZINASU FROM THE NOT SO CLEVER CLEVER BERE!!!!
WE ALL KNOW MAFUME IS NO LONGER PART OF ZINASU OR ANY FUNDING ORGANISATION SO GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT MR NEVER BEFORE YOU ARE USED TO DEFAME PEOPLE OF HONOR WHO ARE WORKING HARD SELFLESSLY FOR BETTER EDUCATION SYSTEMS.
An open letter to ZINASU
As a student from the U.Z, when I got to know that the ZINASU President Bere was at the institution I was overjoyed. I thought he had come to address the outstanding issues affecting the students such as exorbitant fees of USD404 per semester, issues of accommodation, or at least to liaise with the University Authorities pertaining to how to pay fees in monthly installments of probably USD50 or more depending on one's resources. Little did I know that he had come with a different agenda altogether?
I was shocked to see him distributing TAKE-CHARGE t-shirts, instead of addressing real student grievances. I then asked myself, is he the President of the N.C.A or of ZINASU? If it is ZINASU, what are the fundamental issues that are of paramount importance to the students that he was supposed to be concerned with. One of the students actually asked him this question but he stammered and failed to answer.
To ZINASU I say, please put your house in order and defend academic freedoms. To Bere I say re-consider your decision Mr. President Sir. Yes, you were arrested at the right place, but for the wrong reasons altogether. I was shocked to learn from the press that the ZINASU President was arrested addressing students while he was busy on personal business thus putting the name of the students and ZINASU in disrepute. Of late the ZINASU President has acted much as an N.C.A spokesperson than the President of the Union, acting in the best interest of the students.
I think you must first address students’ grievances before any issues pertaining to the constitution. Before you TAKE CHARGE of your constitution, TAKE CHARGE of your constituency that elected you into power. Do not neglect the very people you are claiming to be representing.
We want to learn and graduate and not be used by some people who want to gain political mileage.
SHAME ON Clever Bere FOR NEGLECTING THE UNION.
Concerned U.Z Student,
Tapiwa Moyo
Its unfortunate the a students who still live in a myopic world where they still believe that take chrge campaign which is being championed by the 3 grassroots organisations ie ZINASU ,NCA & ZCTU is a gimmick .TAKE CHARGE is a campaign for the people of zimbabwe and is directed at pushing this govt of national uncertainity to adress the constitutional crisis which has cascaded into exorbitant fee structures ,rates rentals etc imposed by this govt at the expense of zimbabweans .Zimbabweans have suffered under the lancaster document .as students the message should be clear to the at the expense of politicians . take chage and
Its unfortunate the a students who still live in a myopic world where they still believe that take chrge campaign which is being championed by the 3 grassroots organisations ie ZINASU ,NCA & ZCTU is a gimmick .TAKE CHARGE is a campaign for the people of zimbabwe and is directed at pushing this govt of national uncertainity to adress the constitutional crisis which has cascaded into exorbitant fee structures ,rates rentals etc imposed by this govt at the expense of zimbabweans .Zimbabweans have suffered under the lancaster document .as students the message should be clear to the govt that enopugh is enough students have suffered and its either we the students fight now or never .Lets confront this government and their puppets led by the bogus ZINASU MUTABARA LED BY BINA AND STOP THEM BEFORE THEY DESTROY OUR FUTURE