In late February 2025, Midlands State University (MSU) suspended 5 students for allegedly conducting unauthorized student union activities linked to the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU). ZINASU and the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) condemned the suspensions as unconstitutional and filed an urgent court challenge.
On March 12, Takunda Mhuka was formally expelled following a disciplinary hearing. The remaining four students were awaiting their hearings at the time of reporting. ZINASU stated that it was prepared to mobilize protests if the students were not reinstated. Several local and regional bodies, including ARTUZ, AASU, and SASU, criticized MSU’s actions, framing them as part of a broader campaign against student activism.
In a separate but related development at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), union leaders from the Association of University Teachers (AUT) were suspended after organizing a vote on whether to strike over unpaid salaries. The university accused them of insubordination, claiming they used a space reserved for a Chinese language class. AUT’s lawyers refuted the charge as fabricated.
The AUT strike threat stemmed from long-standing grievances: since October 2018, salaries have been slashed by 87%, with junior lecturers earning under USD $300 per month. Despite sending over 27 letters to university authorities, AUT reportedly received only one reply in 7 years.
Response
ACAF is concerned about the suspension and expulsion of students for engaging with ZINASU because that severely curtails the students’ rights to critique the establishment. It reinforces a climate where students fear organizing or voicing dissent, undermining democratic engagement in academic spaces. Two, the punitive measures against AUT leaders for conducting a vote highlight institutional intolerance of labor organizing, a core component of academic freedom and the right to collective bargaining. Three, the dramatic reduction in faculty salaries at AUT— coupled with the lack of institutional dialogue — erodes educators’ capacity to perform their duties and discourages critical discourse. The suspension of lecturers for asserting these rights exemplifies the erosion of autonomy within Zimbabwean academia. Four, such incidents reflect an entrenched pattern of using disciplinary tools to stifle dissent, harming not only the individuals targeted but also setting a precedent that threatens academic freedom more broadly. ACAF calls on the authorities to review such policies to ensure greater protection of academic freedom.
Source(s)
- https://zimbabwenow.co.zw/articles/13992/msu-suspends-five-students-over-alleged-unauthorised-union-activities
- https://www.newsday.co.zw/southerneye/local/article/200039081/zinasu-threatens-protests-court-action-against-msu
- https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/report/2025-03-12-midlands-state-university
- https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200039835/university-of-zimbabwe-lecturers-threaten-to-down-tools
- https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250411070532408
- https://www.pindula.co.zw/2025/03/22/ministers-intervention-averts-university-of-zimbabwe-lecturers-strike/src=/