Tanzania: 20 students suspended over drug abuse

(SomaliNet) Some 24 students from the University of Dar es Salaam management were on Tuesday suspended for allegedly smoking marijuana and engineering riotous activities at Mabibo Hostel in February this year, during which a student lost his life.

According to reports, the students are also accused of breaching the university’s regulations.

Among them, 15 have been singled out by the university`s council probe team to have been directly involved in the February fracas, while five others have been suspended after they were allegedly caught at the university`s sports grounds last week while smoking marijuana.

Four other students were suspended for apparently violating students\' guidelines by holding an unlawful baraza, which led to the disruption of routine academic activities at the main campus.

Talking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the University of Dar es Salaam Vice Chancellor, Prof Rwekaza Mukandala, said the affected students would be handed over to the police to face criminal charges.

Prof Mukandala said frequent unrest at the University of Dar es Salaam was due to lack of proper enforcement of existing students` by-laws and students turning into drug users rather than concentrating on their studies.

“These students have committed criminal acts, including theft, damage of public and personal property and sexual harassment of female students. They don\'t deserve to continue being our students,” said Prof Mukandala.

He said from now onwards, the university management would be engaged in rigorous and timely enforcement of university regulations whenever any illegal activity was detected among students.

Prof. Mukandala said previously, as parents and fearing igniting chaos at the campus, the authorities were hesitating to take tough action that would lead to more riots.

Prof Mukandala said Deogratius Dominick, the undergraduate student who drowned in the university\'s swimming pool in February, had been identified by the council`s probe team as one of the ring leaders of the unrest.

A group of UDSM students went on rampage on the night of February in protest against lack of water at Mabibo Hostel and the main campus.

The riotous students damaged university properties and caused breach of peace.

They also committed criminal acts like sexual harassment of female students by smashing doors in the rooms of female students and damaging passing vehicles.-Guardian