HARARE - Zimbabwe national students union (Zinasu) secretary-general has been arrested ahead of a planned demonstration against government’s failure to pay university fees for students under the cadetship scheme.

Zinasu secretary-general Tryvinne Musokeri was arrested whilst attending a court hearing at the Harare magistrates’ court on Friday.

He was at the courts in connection with a demonstration that was staged at Midlands State University.
 
His arrest comes as the students’ union had been calling for peaceful demonstrations charging that government was displaying misplaced priorities and weakening the education system in Zimbabwe.

The fiery Zinasu says it was shocking that government fails to pay fees for tertiary education students at a time it was acquiring top of the range vehicles for ministers, jet setting with monolithic delegations and paying out of hefty back-dated allowances to parliamentarians.

“This move by the GNU can be likened to a father who buys expensive cars for himself and makes many costly foreign trips but fails to pay school fees for his children,” Zinasu president Pride Mkono said.

Zinasu claims police has taken out a warrant of arrest against Mkono, who has since gone into hiding.

Hundreds of university students from poor backgrounds have been unable to register after the government failed to provide funds for the cadetship scheme.

Meanwhile, a student preparatory meeting with the Masvingo student leaders was disrupted by the police over the weekend. - Staff Writer