By Lance Guma
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HARARE – A general council session of the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) has resolved that it will not support President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party but will instead put its weight behind a coalition of opposition parties including the two MDC formations.
Only last week Friday the Zanu PF controlled Herald newspaper claimed that Zinasu was ditching its traditional ally the MDC-T.
But the Zinasu council which met from the 12th to the 14th of April passed a resolution declaring that “Zinasu is allergic to Zanu PF and will never at any point associate with it.”
Zinasu president Pride Mkono accompanied by members of the National Executive announced the resolutions of their General Council which included the need for a coalition against Mugabe and Zanu PF.
“Students came together to deliberate on core national issues and from that process I want to forthwith point out that ZINASU is allergic to ZANU PF and will never at any point associate with it. In fact ZANU PF is an enemy beyond reconciliation” said Mkono.
“We thus encourage the MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube and the MDC-T, to create a grand coalition ahead of the polls and in the interest of the suffering masses of Zimbabwe” Mkono said.
Mkono was however quick to point out that if a coalition is not made possible then ZINASU would throw its weight behind the MDC-T in the coming poll since it was the only party capable of unseating ZANU PF from power.
Below are some of the Zinasu resolutions:
The prime resolutions which will guide the operations of the Union were summarised into ten positions which are as follows:
1. Consistent free and fair S.R.C elections.
2. A Culture of leadership renewal.
3. Appointment of a substantive Minister of Higher education.
4. Appointment of key University/college personnel based on merit not political affiliation.
5. Affordable tertiary education for all.
6. Provision of loans and grants to all students with proceeds from diamond sells.
7. Female students’ participation in governance.
8. Peaceful free and fair elections.
9. Opening up of the CSO’s operating environment.
10. Formation of a grand coalition ahead of elections.
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