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There are also reports of student protestors being arrested and tortured by riot police who have stationed themselves on university campuses. According to Education International, The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has adopted a resolution condemning the continued violence against teachers across the country. EI has also learnt that the President and General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) were both arrested on 8th May as a result of comments which they made in May Day speeches. According to EI they are charged with ‘inciting people to rise against the government and reporting falsehoods about people being killed’ and for having spoken about the political crisis due to the long postponement of the announcement of the election results and the ensuing wave of violent intimidation of opposition supporters. Student protests over the delay in election results, coupled with complaints about university fee hikes, have been met with a severe response, University World News has said. Riot police and their vehicles have appeared on campuses at several polytechnics in response to the protests. Quoting the Student Solidarity Trust’s recent report on higher education in Zimbabwe, University World News have said that 17 students - 10 from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), six from Bindura University of Science and Technology and one from Great Zimbabwe University - were arrested for protesting. The 10 students arrested at NUST were supposedly tortured and assaulted by police. NEAR deplores the use of violence and urges the Zimbabwean authorities to refrain from using repressive tactics against teachers, students and unionists. URGENT
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