By A Correspondent- Seven students from Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) have been summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee to answer to charges of disorderly conduct after they allegedly beat drums during a demonstration over mismanagement of the institution.

According to a charge sheet prepared by authorities at HIT, the seven
students engaged in a disorderly conduct by singing, dancing, chanting
slogans and marching from the hostels area to the library disrupting
the teaching, study and research at the institution in contravention
of section 3.1.3 and section 3.2.2 of the Rules of Student Conduct and
Discipline Ordinance 15.

The seven students namely Leeroy Barnete, who is the President of
HIT’s Student Representative Council, Tafara Mutembedza, Ashlee
Makaya, Anesu Chigumadzi, Saviour Machuwaire, Marvin Madamba and
Blessing Kalisi will appear before the Student Disciplinary Committee
on Monday 16 December 2019 after a false start to their trial on
Tuesday 3 December 2019.

The decision by HIT to haul the students to appear before the students
disciplinary committee comes after HIT’s Vice-Chancellor Engineer
Quinton Kanhukamwe first suspended them on Friday 15 November 2019 on charges of misconduct for allegedly beating drums and singing in a
disruptive manner on Tuesday 12 November 2019 and on Thursday 14
November 2019 during a demonstration held over mismanagement of the
institution and its failure to supply electricity at the college.

It took the intervention of Kossam Ncube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights (ZLHR), who filed an urgent chamber application in the High
Court on Saturday 16 November 2019 challenging the suspension of the
students on the basis that it would prejudice them as they will not be
able to write their end of semester examinations scheduled for Monday
18 November 2019 and ending on Friday 29 November 2019.

In court, Ncube protested that the suspension of the students was
motivated by ulterior motives ostensibly to ensure that they do not
write their end of semester examinations, which they have been
preparing for over a long period.

In the end, High Court Judge Justice Erica Ndewere on Saturday 16
November 2019 nullified the suspension of the HIT students and ordered
the institution to allow the students to write their end of semester
examinations.