The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) swept to victory in the student union elections held at National University of Science and Technology (NUST), yesterday with its presidential candidate Denis Mwashita romping to victory with 686 votes beating arch rivals and Zanu PF aligned student body, Zimbabwe Congress of Student Unions (ZICOSU) whose presidential candidate Blessing Zhou came fourth with 387 votes.
Student Council elections are hold yearly at higher learning institutions and for years the main student bodies, ZINASU and ZICOSU have been engaged in tight contests as they are understood to feed into the mainstream politics.
ZINASU is aligned to the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose leadership officials among them, the opposition incumbent Nelson Chamisa having made feet in student politics before he graduated into the mainstream politics.
Speaking to 263Chat in an exclusive interview, the new NUST student President Mwashita said his victory is a reflection of what transpired in the July 30 harmonized elections in which he said young people showed commitment to politics in a bid to effect change.
“It reflected that young people still have hope in politics, fully committed to change as they seek a total overhaul of old systems,” Mwashita said.
He, however, implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to live by his words where he pledged to uplift the lives of the young academics at universities and other higher learning institutions particularly at NUST regarding loans.
Prior to the 30 July 2018 harmonized elections speaking at the National Student Convention in the capital, President Mnangagwa pledged a cocktail of issues ranging from loans, university infrastructure, reduction of attachments fees among other concerns.
“I speak with regards to students’ loans and grants, infrastructure like library and student residential areas, it is my expectation that the President will fulfill.”
Mwashita further told 263Chat that he seeks to institute a new culture of governance at the biggest science and technology institution in Zimbabwe.
“I am looking forward to a situation where all students in their diversity access all services the University is mandated to provide. I am also taking it upon myself to make sure there is financial discipline in the student council’s coffers. I’m saying this against a background of gross misuse of students’ funds by previous administrations.”
Mwashita will be deputized by Billy Muchipisi a young enthusiastic, whose charismatic gesture saw him beating Zhou, who had been touted as a front runner.
