A student kissing ban imposed by the
University of Zimbabwe is "nonsensical", a
student representative has told the BBC.
A circular from the university authorities
said those "caught in an intimate position"
on the Harare campus would be disciplined.
"In this age to say I'm no longer allowed to
kiss or hug someone... is unreasonable,"
Tsitsi Mazikana said.
The university has not commented on the
students' objections to the ruling.
It was issued at the beginning of the new
academic year as part of a list of
"misconducts that attract immediate
eviction from halls of residence".
The University of Zimbabwe circular list 11
"misconducts" that will result in eviction
The list of 11 points also includes bans on
squatters and cooking in bedrooms.
Fourth on the list of behaviour that will
result in eviction says: "Caught in intimate
position (kissing or having sex in public
places)".
Ms Mazikana, who is the students' gender
representative, said that the campus
already had strict rules for those
fraternising with the opposite sex.
In single-sex hostels, for example, residents
were only permitted visitors in the foyer
and no visits were permitted after 22:00,
she said.
Ms Mazikana said the ban had less to do
with morality and more to do with controlling
students who were "not happy about the way
they are running the university".
"If they were talking about anything moral
they wouldn't be placing condoms in the
hostels and in the clinic, but... kissing and
hugging - there's nothing immoral about
that," she told the BBC's Newsday
programme.
The Zimbabwe National Students Union
(Zinasu) said the university administration
had a habit of instituting arbitrary rules
without consulting student bodies.
The union was organising a petition against
the campus kissing ban, Zinasu's Gift Maposa
told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.
There were already strict regulations
infringing the students' rights to
demonstrate - introduced in 1997 - which
instilled a fear of being expelled, he said.
The BBC's Brian Hungwe in the capital,
Harare, says the students often accuse the
university authorities of being out of touch
with the young.
Beer was banned on campus about seven
years ago, which proved very unpopular, he
says.


source; http://m.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29722678?ocid=socialflow_facebook