2 Opposition Student Union Rap MDC-T

MDC

THE MDC-T has come under fire from students unions who accuse it of being insensitive to their plight by seeking to prolong a dysfunctional coalition that has not done anything to improve their welfare.

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu), a key ally of the MDC-T and the bedrock of its support in colleges and universities said it was severing links with the party ahead of the harmonised elections.

The rival, Zimbabwe Congress of Students Unions (Zicosu), also rapped the MDC-T delaying tactics and called for harmonised elections by June 29 to end the inclusive Government.

Zinasu and Zicosu are the two umbrella bodies under which all student bodies in colleges and universities fall.

In a statement yesterday Zinasu said it would review its long standing relations with the MDC-T at its general council meeting to be held at Belvedere Teachers' College next week.

"In the past, GCs of Zinasu that met before elections such as one held during the tenure of Clever Bere as Zinasu president clearly aligned themselves with the Movement for Democratic Change.

"Furthermore, previous national executives of Zinasu, such as the one led by Clever Bere effectively campaigned for the MDC-T and its president by attending and addressing rallies and writing long articles in the Press urging students to vote for the MDC and (Mr) Morgan Tsvangirai.

"However, while it might have been expedient for Zinasu at that juncture to align itself with MDC-T the current executive have a deep rooted conviction that the students of Zimbabwe should be given a chance to map a way forward and to choose whether they will or not support any political party in the coming elections," reads part of the statement.

Zinasu's move, that comes at a time other MDC-T allies like the NCA and PTUZ have announced plans to form a political party, comes as a blow to the MDC-T whose plummeting fortunes are now the stuff of legend.

A number of opinion polls conducted by various Western funded organisations have also indicated that Zanu-PF will convincingly win the harmonised elections while the MDC-T has been accused of lacking clarity on policy positions.

Zicosu secretary general, Mr Leopold Chakanyuka, said his organisation wanted the elections to be held as soon as possible.

"According to the law the elections should be held by 29 June and as students why should we be listening to MDC and compromise the law when we have lost so much after accommodating them into the dysfunctional government of national unity, cadetship and scholarships are no longer available so we need the elections by June 29 so that we can get back what we lost as students."

Zicosu treasurer general, Mr Tonderai Chidawa urged all students to go and register as voters and endorse Zanu-PF at the polls to protect the gains of independence.

"Before MDC-T came into power students received grants but now some of the colleges are turning away students who were on the cadetship programme because they are not registered and so they are not able to continue with school.

"Our universities need infrastructural development so we need a government that has interests of students at heart."