UZ Sociology Dept Disowns Grace’s PhD, UZ Lecturers Face Arrest from ZACC

Posted 8 mins ago by Maveriq



Lecturers from the Department of Sociology at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) are reported to have filed a petition with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the awarding of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree to former first lady Grace Mugabe. Former president Robert Mugabe’s wife was awarded the PhD from the UZ’s Faculty of Social Studies Department of Sociology in 2014. However, the degree attracted intense criticism and speculation after claims that Grace did not defend her thesis, let alone write one and that she did not take the required period of time to complete it.

Now the lecturers in the Sociology Department are reported to have disavowed any knowledge of Grace fulfilling any of the requirements for completing the degree. Zacc is looking into the matter, and the weekly newspaper, the Zimbabwe Independent, reports that UZ vice-chancellor Professor Levi Nyagura and UZ lecturer Professor Claude Mararike face arrest over allegations of abuse of office for fraudulently conferring the degree on Grace.

Grace was awarded the degree when her husband, former president Robert Mugabe was the Chancellor of all state universities while current Minister of Environment, Water and Climate and Zanu-PF National Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education.

Part of the Petition submitted to ZACC by the lecturers from Department of Sociology reads:

This was a shock to many members of the department as most members ‘never (saw) or heard about the proposal, progress reports, thesis examiners and outcome’ of such study by the candidate. In fact, all of the departmental board members ‘heard about the graduation in the media and saw the pictures on the university calendar the following year

In addition, at least the two chairpersons who were the incumbents of office during the time when the candidate should have registered and worked on the PhD also ‘know nothing about it’.

…The awarding of the degree has therefore not gone through processes that other candidates are subjected to which makes the awarding of the degree suspicious.

Grace’s thesis is yet to be released into the public domain. However, that of former Vice President Joice Mujuru and those of other candidates who graduated on the same day with the former first lady are now publicly available. In November last year, students from the University of Zimbabwe went on strike demanding that Grace Mugabe’s degree should be recalled. The students also demanded the resignation of then-President Robert Mugabe.

Contacted for comments,student leader Treasure Basopo said "The move by ZACC has been a much awaited golden opportunity towards the restoration of integrity and legacy for the once illustrious University and sacrosanct education system in Zimbabwe,Nyagura must go in the same fashion as his boss Robert" The students only returned to their classes after then Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Constantino Chiwenga urged them to continue with their education.

Watch Cde Treasure Basopo on ZBC Meltingpot

Alert! Alert!! Alert!

TUNE IN TO ZBC-TV TONIGHT'S MELTING POT.

TIME:07:30 HRS

In the pot,we have Cde Treasure Basopo,the President of Economics Students Association of Zimbabwe as well as a brazen Youth Activist vs Simbarashe Murondoti (Lawyer and Author).

There shall be gnashing of teeth,grinding and grounding of political facts,wisdom and probabilities as they will be focusing on the following issues:

*Relevancy of the newly established Empower Bank.
*Youth Quarta System in parastatals.
*Is the constitutional age of 40 to contest for presidency fair for youth in Zimbabwe?
*Impact of corruption on economic growth.

Dont be left out.Tune in and enjoy the heated debate on ZTV @ 1930 HRS.

ESAZ Information Desk

Abisha Makwanya
+263772888788
+263772237751
amakwanya@yahoo.com.

Former UZ SRC President strips down Vice Chancellor ~Nyagura

UZ administration murders students

University of Zimbabwe Administration murders students.

The President Robert Mugabe chancellored state University UZ which is deputised by Prof Levi Nyagura,is again on an excesise of soft genocide.

This article comes as a necessary tributary into the academic students struggles at a time when a deep,dark and somber cloud of sorrow hangs on our midst following the brutal and fatal death of Godwin Makuza,Simbarashe Mucheuki and Simbarashe Mudzengi who were students with Univeristy of Zimbabwe, may their souls rest in eternal peace.These fellow brothers were involved in an unprecedent car accident together with seven other students on their way from Long Cheng Plaza around 04:00 am on Friday night.

According to a recent survey undertaken by UZ Economics Department stakeholders, more than 78% and 83% of youths at UZ and Zimbabwe respectively consume alcohol and each one of them spends an average of $7.55 on alcohol within a normal month of 30 days.

A barrage of cases involving students have been reported with UZ Security Department including cases of rape,sexual harrasment, assault and theft of students' properties,unfortunately,in all these students are victims.

The students' leadership has always frantically and passionately raised issues of students' security,protection and safety,which is a direct responsibility of the state through UZ administration.The authorities as always, have been notoriously and arrogantly adamant,this led to the case being escalated to the Parliament through the Parliamentary Portifolio on Higher and Tertiary Education which was even more arrogant than the former, the ageists in that portifolio are reported to have been sleeping during thee meeting.

Students' safety remain inconsequential and unurgent in the eyes of the opressor despite these unending deaths and threats to students' life, for these are not the first deaths of this kind but just the most recent.We therefore take this opportunity to warn Proffesor Levi Nyagura and his liuternants to re~open the UZ students bar in the next two months before opening in August 2017.The issue of UZ campus bar is not for pleasure or luxury but the protection and safety of students,the running of University as a tuckshop or as a church without taking considerations to diverse backgrounds and students interests is treasonous and should be stopped forthwith,Nyagura is warned!!!.

Since the closure of October 4 (UZ students bar) in 2008 ,for political or otherwise fears,the administration has been so resistant towards re~opening it for the fear of demonstrations and strikes by tippsy students,however taking a Cost ~Benefit analysis of this decision,students have fallen victims and casualties of this dubious and self centred decision of closing the bar whilst exposing beer drinkers to harsh conditions including lack of transport and students' safety during and after drinking.There is no close bar to UZ campus except Spar GroomBridge's liquor corner which has led to various students arrest and abuse by Avondale and Marlborough Police combined who now use Groombrigde road and a hunting ground for the scanty US dollars.

We demand the students bar as soon as yesterday for today is rather too late for some more 2 students have even died today.We want the administration to acede to our demands in less than 60 days( 1 440 hours) and should respond to students in less than 48 hours through UZ facebook page and students Emhare Accounts.

Basopo Basopo

Zimbabwe National Students Union(ZINASU).

ZANU PF rallies costing parents

Zanu PF rallies costing students and parents

This communique serves to express the unabated disgruntlement that is bedevelling both students and parents over the perpertual and seemily unending disturbances in education due to ZANU PF rallies continually being staged across the country by Zanu Pf national secretary on a nation wide tour to meet youths in what has been described as a stratergic defacto mass mobilisation of youth voters.

Recognising the sacrosanctity of our constitution,we respect section 60,61 ,67 and other relevant sections and chapters, we respect the right to political choice andparticipation by any individual and political party on which ZANU PF is included.However in pursuance of these rights, no individuals ,organisations,institutions or groups should be prejudiced in the process.This article comes as a response to the evident disturbances in education of students in both primary and secondary and tertiary institutions accompanied by forced donations of both resources and human labour by the above stated institutions.

Amid preparations to host president Mugabe in Manicaland Province on Friday 16 June,schools have been forced to submitt their newly bought buses to be used for the transportation of party loyalists from all over Manicaland,school teachers have been summoned to attend the ceremony together with their students,this exhumes bad memories of 2008 that we had hidden in a tight compartment,memories of pressganging crowds to attend political events.

At Mutare Polly ,Marrymount and Mutare Teachers' colleges lectures were cut with effect from Wednesday and students channeled towards sweeping streets in a bid to impress the president on his arrival in the third largest city within the country.

NRZ was summoned to submitt trains which will be used to outsource other people from around the country in efforts of meeting the targeted 60 000 people by Kudzai Chipanga.I wish to remind ZANU PF that party business should remain foreign to government business.The move to frog march people especially students in efforts to impress the 93 year old Zimbabwean premier is unwelcome,diabolic and primitive,we therefore call upon the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture together with Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to remain as proffesional as desired by section 200 of our national constitution.

We call upon SDCs to stand toe to toe with any political party hooligan who seek to treat schools as party or private property.The right to education should be safeguarded and not subjected to any conditions by anyone whatsoever irregardless of social standing or political party affiliation for parents can not be used to sponsor political party business either directly or indirectly.

Concerned Student

Basopo Basopo.

ZWIPA statement on the assault of MDC VP Khupe

*Women in Zimbabwe Politics Statement on assault of Thokozani Khupe*

It is in a bad mood accompanied by good faith that I prescribe this article seeking to touch on the nerves of targeted violence towards women on the Zimbabwean political landscape.

Women in Zimbabwe Politics (WZP) castigates and never condone the most recent brutal and barbaric physical attack and assault of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Vice President Thokozani Khupe together with the MDC National Chairman and National Organiser recently at the MDC offices in Bulawayo over party misunderstandings and political differences.

Without any intention to meddle,dictate or intrude into affairs of political parties in particular the MDC~T,Im baffled,disturbed and equally angered by the physical attack of Amai Khupe.The adoption of violence as an instrument of arbitrage is totally uncalled for especially in a political terrain where most women have shun the activities due to violent abuse and physical manhandling.

Thokozani Khupe who was elected in 2006 as Morgan Tsvangirai'*Zimbabwe Women in Politics Statement on assault of Thokozani Khupe*

It is in a bad mood accompanied by good faith that I prescribe this article seeking to touch on the nerves of targeted violence towards women on the Zimbabwean political landscape.Women in Zimbabwe Politics (WZP) castigates and never condone the most recent brutal and barbaric attack of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Vice President Thokozani Khupe together with the MDC National Chairman and National Organiser recently at the MDC offices in Bulawayo over party misunderstandings and political differences.

Without any intention to meddle,dictate or intrude into affairs of political parties inparticular the MDC~T,Im baffled,disturbed and equally angered by the physical attack of Amai Khupe.The adoption of violence as an instrument of arbitrage is totally uncalled for especially in a political terrain where most women have shun the activities due to violent abuse and physical manhandling.Thokozani Khupe who was elected in 2006 as Morgan Tsvangirai's deputy ahead of Getrude Mtombeni.Khupe, a veteran activist,former railway unionist and secretary of ZCTU Women's Advisory Council, was a founder member of the MDC.In 2000 she was elected MP for Mkokoba in Bulawayo a seat she retained in 2005 and further proved herself in 2008 when she humiliated Welshman Ncube for that seat.This is a beacon of hope for most women detesting politics due to a rugged violent terrain and her attack is a rubber~ stamp to the seating perception.

In this patriachal society characterised by an institutinalised male dominace which has kept the state and status of women marginal, a handful have developed a thick skin to finally dismantle the monolith to its last pebble,instances of Joyce Mujuru and Thokozani Khupe who managed to squize their ways into the presidium of their respective parties.

The forceful landing at VP Khupe by suspected MDC thugs who were totally out if their wits,ready to burn down the whole Harvest House while searching for a rat in a delapidated food cupboard, is not only an insult to the word democracy but a barricade to women participation in public affairs as well.The attack on Khupe who is highly regarded by most young women as a torch bearer will only scare away possible women political participants,women have always been targets of political violence in the Zimbabwean much contested political terrain ,not to mention the likes of Grace Kwinjeh,Sekai Holland,Jessie Majome,Jestina Mukoko among a pool of so many other progressive women.

Noting Mugabe's violence to opponents including women as participacipants,its just natural for one will be bamboozled by the rubbing off of the very same devlish tenats by an aspiring alternative.

As Women in Zimbabwe Politics,we applaud the efforts to empower women through the bringing in of the Domestic Violence Act,the creation of a Ministry of Women Affairs and the signing in to various international treaties and conventions including Convention on the elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW),our greatest appeal is for the government, political parties and all other critical players to assure the translation of these into reality.s deputy ahead of Getrude Mtombeni.Khupe, a veteran activist,former railway unionist and secretary of ZCTU Women's Advisory Council, was a founder member of the MDC.In 2000 she was elected MP for Mkokoba in Bulawayo a seat she retained in 2005 and further proved herself in 2008 when she humiliated Welshman Ncube for that seat.This is a beacon of hope for most women detesting politics due to a rugged violent terrain and her attack is a rubber~ stamp to the seating perception.

In this patriachal society characterised by an institutinalised male dominace which has kept the state and status of women marginal, a handful have developed a thick skin to finally dismantle the monolith to its last pebble,instances of Joyce Mujuru and Thokozani Khupe who managed to squize their ways into the presidium of their respective parties.

The forceful landing at VP Khupe by suspected MDC thugs who were totally out if their wits,ready to burn down the whole Harvest House while searching for a rat in a delapidated food cupboard, is not only an insult to the word democracy but a barricade to women participation in public affairs as well.The attack on Khupe who is highly regarded by most young women as a torch bearer will only scare away possible women political participants,women have always been targets of political violence in the Zimbabwean much contested political terrain ,not to mention the likes of Grace Kwinjeh,Sekai Holland,Jessie Majome,Jestina Mukoko among a pool of so many other progressive women.

Noting Mugabe's violence to opponents including women as participacipants,its just natural for one will be bamboozled by the rubbing off of the very same devlish tenats by an aspiring alternative.

As Women in Zimbabwe Politics,we applaud the efforts to empower women through the bringing in of the Domestic Violence Act,the creation of a Ministry of Women Affairs and the signing in to various international treaties and conventions including Convention on the elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW),our greatest appeal is for the government, political parties and all other critical players to assure the translation of these into reality.

ZINASU Statement on bond notes

ZINASU STATEMENT ON BOND NOTES.

The once Zimbabwean currency with was dumped after hyper inflation.

The falcon can not hear the falconer.

The public announcement by the central bank governor Mr John Mangudya on Saturday that the back door brought, dubious and surrogate currency known as the bond note will be on a fully fledged usage in the economy with effect from today ( Monday 28 November), this has been received in a state of a myriad of feelings, uncertainty , in fact ambivalent feelings on whether to endorse or to castigate and reject the move into the dustbins of political nuisance.

Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) notes the developments, consulted specialists and prognosticated the future impacts, however its beyond any reasonable shadow of political, economic and social doubt that the hiring of an economist or an otorhinolaryngologist is inconsequential and petty, as the bond notes` effects have already started to surface and are mathematically manifesting in the form of shortages, panick buying, and loss in value of the bond money coupled with circulation of fake notes.

At the epicentre of the brand-new reality, is the structural failure by ZANU –PF to prevent the colossal collapse of the economy, since 2012 the economy has been crumbling at a geometric rate evidenced by a receding GDP from its record high of 11.9% in 2011 to 2.3% in 2014 to the expected -1.8% in 2015,-3.8% in 2016 and an expected -5.2% in 2017, a deficit in the current account to the tune of exceeding GDP by more than 15%, high unemployment of over 90% and a serious budget deficit standing at a staggering US$1 Billion in 2015, this is evidence that our government has reached a gridlock, a complete shuttdown.The reason as to why the government has gone this far is because they have failed to admitt that they have failed on the face of the selectorate, failed to pemitt a new people driven government to take over and allow citizens to participate in the decision makig process, contrary gripping on power and dissolving any sugestion into thick air has become the order of the day.

The gap between the haves and and the have-nots on the gini coefficient is widening and shifting towards 1.Where is minister...............of small................., to rescue his constituenccy.The introduction of the bond note will ony give an opportunity to the well established and politically connected monopoly capital, big retailers, whole salers, fuel suppliers and service stations who have access to foreign currence to trade whilst suffocating small and growing businesses.This will not only affect the people of zimbabwe, but undermines the much touted Indiginisaion policy and ZIMASSET, this is made possible by the legal beurocaracy imposed by the government, you need an importers license to get forex from the monetray authorities, small businesses, vendors, small holders, zimbabweans going for holiday outside and students studying abroad will be thwarted and technicall segregated by this. Cry my beloved informal sector, for this sector consists of more than 80% of the enclave dual Zimbabwean economy.

ZANU PF must stop regular big stouting,suyaing,grandstanding and peppersouping for these are not real issues, they must be prepared to immense themselves in societal dialectics, ZANU PF oficials must discipline their flesh, must conquer their flesh and think if a Zimbabwean student, studying abroad who does not posses an import license, but needs foreign curence in the pursuit of education.ZINASU says “nada”, we are now prepared to advance to where the hand of justice has proven too short to reach.

The illegal, black market forex exchangers have already started sucking and dupping suspecting and unsuspecting citizens by deffying the so called legislated exchange rate of 1:1 reverting to a 1:0.70 , meaning a 30% loss in value in less than 4 hours from introduction.The introduction of the bond note is an agrravation, an excerbation and a reinforcement of the illegal and widely repudiated SI64 of 2016, enacted by our government in uly of 2016, the nett effect of these two is to stop the commoners from importing and making importation of a few priviledged and politically connected "Mpokos".

The Zimbabwean economy is marred in a deep seated economic phantasmagoria of liquidity crisis, deflation and low productivity compounded by high unemployment. Ust like the rising import bill through the barring of imports through an extra legal Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 which has not worked and has merely forced traders to resort to massive corruption, nepotism at Zimbabwe`s border posts, the crisis of the bond note will not ressolve but rather worsen the situation and encourage pre-bendalism, coruption and nepotism .Companies will continue to shutt down and students will continue to suffer from shortage of attachment places, high deffering levels, loss of confidence and irrelevant attachments.

The centre can not hold, things have fallen apart, bond notes have arrived and are already circulating, the nation is in a panick mode, grippled with fear and cluelessness, thnaks to Robert Angel Gabriel Mugabe for his mercilessness and ruthlesness, for he has no face to hide or a heart to shame.

ZINASU NATIONAL SPOKESMAN

TRESURE BASOPO BASOPO