HIGH Court Judge Justice Maxwell Takuva has ordered Gweru Polytechnic College to reinstate a student leader who had been suspended for allegedly leading a protest against poor service at the institution.
Mudzingwa was suspended on Friday 8 November 2019 by Washington Chandiwana, the Principal of Gweru Polytechnic College, who accused him of misconduct after he allegedly incited other students to cause commotion at the institution on Thursday 7 November 2019 following a meeting which was convened to address some housekeeping issues pertaining to their stay at the college hostels.
The 21 year-old student leader, who serves in the food committee of the Student Representative Council, was reportedly vocal about the situation at the college, where students raised grievances about the services of the catering company which they argued provided food services at exorbitant prices and was providing substandard service.
Mudzingwa was forced to engage lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), who demanded his reinstatement given that his suspension from college was not supported by the institution’s regulations.
In an urgent chamber application filed at the High Court, Mudzingwa’s lawyer Jabulani Mhlanga of ZLHR asked Justice Takuva to nullify the student leader’s suspension as it had no basis at law and was without just cause.
Justice Takuva, who presided over the determination of the urgent chamber application, recently ruled in favour of Mudzingwa and ordered Gweru Polytechnic College to immediately reinstate him with full benefits and entitlements of a student which includes attending lectures.
