Three University of Zimbabwe graduates on Thursday
stunned President Mugabe and other senior
government officials when they staged surprise
protests during this year’s graduation ceremony
demanding jobs.

The government, as represented by Jonathan Moyo,
the Higher and Tertiary Education minister, is
threatening to withhold their degrees as punishment
for this brazen act. The trio of Alex Mukamba,
Tonderai Dombo and Tembinkosi Rushwaya, which was
later taken to court and fined $10 each for public
nuisance, however, stand by their action saying there
was nothing wrong with demanding employment
creation in the country.

Despite toiling to obtain degrees and other scholarly
qualifications, a majority of university and college
graduates in Zimbabwe are failing to secure
employment. Many of them have turned to street
vending and other menial jobs to survive.
Mukamba, who was studying political science, said it
was necessary to challenge Mugabe and his ministers
so that they know things are not well for the majority
of graduates in the country.

“We were graduating but there is really nothing to
celebrate. Each year thousands of graduates are
churned out but there is no employment for them. Last
year alone we had about 17 000 graduates from about
nine universities without adding people from
polytechnics and other vocational colleges. Of that
number, very few are getting employed; it seems we
are celebrating unemployment,” he said.
“Those government officials facilitating the graduation
ceremonies are living good lives and they can afford to
send their children to universities outside the country.
What we did on Thursday was a voice against the
government demanding an environment where
graduates are employed. We are suffering and we
shouldn’t act as if everything is normal.”

Mukamba said it was disheartening that parents and
guardians strived to send their children to universities
but after completing studies, they still needed to fend
for them as the graduates were failing to secure
employment.
He said his protest was driven by sad realities of the
current economic situation that was affecting most
graduates in the country.

“Poverty is what is pushing us to do this. Personally,
my parents had to sell household property so that I
could finish my studies but after graduation I still have
to look up to my mother for everything. That is painful
because I should be able to look after my parents after
graduation,” he said.
Former student leader Dombo said Mugabe must be
reminded that things are not normal in the country and
he has to act.

“The economic situation in the country pushed me to
do what I did on Thursday. Truly, there are no
prospects of getting employment as many companies
are closing each passing day. With that in mind, you
get to a point as an individual of saying ‘I need to
stand up and say it to the Chancellor himself’,” Dombo
said.

“As a former student leader I felt obliged that I should
represent the students I have been leading. The
majority of them are fearful to tell the authorities that
things are not normal. I realised that someone needed
to stand up because keeping silent on such matters
makes no sense. We have to speak out against the
few elites who have access to the country’s
resources. We cannot keep silent when we have been
reduced to living like baboons or other wild animals,”
he said.

Dombo said a majority of brilliant youngsters were
failing to make it into university because of poverty
and for the fortunate few who managed, life was
becoming unbearable as they were failing to secure
employment.
He said his protest was not influenced by any political
party or civic organisation, but by the genuine plight of
the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe.
Dombo also said he was not afraid of Mugabe’s
regime, which he said thrived on corruption and
instilling fear in the citizens.
He also took a dig at Higher Education minister
Jonathan Moyo who threatened to withhold their
degrees.

Rushwaya told The Standard that if Moyo withheld
their degrees, they would also write to universities he
studied at to ask them to strip him of his
qualifications.
He said the reaction by government had shown that
they received the message and therefore they need to
act on it.
The government of Zimbabwe stands accused of being
responsible for the alarming unemployment levels in
the country.
Zimbabwe Coalition of Unemployed Graduates (ZCUG)
said the government needed to be pushed so that they
rectified the situation on the ground.

“What Dombo and others did is very important in
reminding the president that people are graduating to
be come. That was a very important stance which also
sends a message to the international community that
Zimbabwean citizens are living as paupers. The
majority of parents and guardians are struggling to
send their children to university so that they have a
better life but upon completion of studies there is a
sad reality of unemployment. Mugabe has just failed,”
ZCUG coordinator, Howard Madya said.
Co-coordinator of ZCUG, Samuel Meso weighed in,
saying graduands at all universities must stand up
against Mugabe’s ruinous policies.
“The stance taken by Dombo and others at the
University of Zimbabwe graduation ceremony should be embraced by all graduands. The wave should spread
to other institutions so that we send a clear message.
We cannot continue to watch as this government
displays lack of political will to provide jobs. Speeches
do not bring jobs,” he said.

In February this year, Vendors Initiative for Social and
Economic Transformation (Viset) revealed that more
than 2 000 university graduates in Harare and
Bulawayo alone had resorted to street vending as the
economy continued to dwindle in a report titled
Unemployment and Economic Shrinkage: From
University to the Street.

http://www.newsdzezimbabwe.co.uk/2016/10/protesting-students-hit-back.html?m=1