Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) management has ordered resident students to vacate campus hostels by next Tuesday to accommodate Zanu PF delegates preparing for the ruling party’s annual conference.
Zanu PF is set to hold its 23rd annual conference at CUT, and the party’s advance teams, including security personnel, have started arriving at the university.
The Zanu PF conference is scheduled to run from October 12 to 17 2026, with approximately 3 500 delegates expected to attend.
A directive to evict resident students to accommodate Zanu PF delegates has sparked widespread disruption to lectures and student anger. Tensions escalated lastThursday when officers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) descended on the campus and arrested 11 students ahead of a planned meeting to address the eviction ultimatum.
The detained students were released after paying US$15 admission-of-guilt fines to avoid remaining in custody over the weekend.
"Our 11 comrades were arrested just before a meeting convened to find a solution for resident students facing the eviction deadline," a Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) source said.
“They each paid a US$15 fine to secure their release and avoid being locked up over the weekend."
Kudzai Choga of law firm Choga and Associates confirmed that their legal team stepped in to represent the detained group.
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"One of our lawyers, Mr Maromo, represented the CUT students, and we are pleased that they have been released," Choga said.
Zinasu CUT branch president Definite Mazvihwa declined to comment extensively on the situation, stating that the student body was preparing an official response.
The conference will be held on the backdrop of changes to the constitution that were initiated by Zanu PF and largely benefited President Emmerson Mnangagwa, legislators and councillors.
Mnangagwa’s tenure was initially expected to end in 2028 but was extended following the controversial amendments to the constitution.
The amendments have been seen as part of a wider succession battle to block Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, from succeeding him.
