User:Chakanetsa/Beloved Chiweshe

Beloved Chiweshe was born on 20 March 1983 to Barnabas Maxmillio Muchato Chiweshe and Faustina Chiweshe (Nee Chihota) at Mbizo Clinic Kwekwe, Zimbabwe. He attended Rumhumha Primary School Gokwe, Ruvimbo Primary School Kwekwe, and completed his primary education at Gokomere Primary School. In 1996 he started secondary education at Gokomere High School completing his ordinary level in 1999. In 2000 he started advanced education at Gutu High School and completed his Advanced level in 2001 at St. Annes Goto High School in Wedza, Zimbabwe. In 2002 he enrolled at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Bulawayo, Zimbabwe for a Bachelor's degree in Applied Biochemistry. In his fourth and final year at University, Beloved was elected president of the Students' Representative Council (SRC). As president of the students representative committee Beloved Chiweshe led protests against the Zimbabwean Government's decision to stop providing education loans to students which it had implemented immediately without consultations. Since Robert Mugabe was the chancellor of all universities, he ordered the expulsion of all students protesting the government's decision. Beloved and the other students resisted the expulsions and the police and intelligence operatives haunted them out of the universities using crude means. Beloved was arrested and sent to prison on several occasions including an incident at Bindura University were he had gone in solidarity with the students at that university. In 2006 he was elected Secretary General of the Zimbabwe National Students Union(ZINASU). Because of the ZINASU's stance against Robert Mugabe, who ZINASU accused of having stolen the 2005 presidential election from Morgan Tsvangirai, Beloved Chiweshe was a victim of harassment and torture as the state apparatus struggled to contain the students movement with many others student leaders at the time including Promise Mkwananzi. The expulsion did not deter the students movement who continued to resist Mugabe culminating in demonstrations that rocked the country's universities. The students movement was part of a pro democracy movement that included the churches, trade unions, women's groups and academics who were tired of Robert Mugabe's dictatorship. Fearing for the lives of the students who had been expelled in the pro-democracy movement, friendly countries to the cause of democracy in Zimbabwe created a scholarship fund that would educate the expelled leaders as part of a broader capacity building programme to equip a new leadership.Beloved Chiweshe is now studying at University College Utrecht,The Netherlands.