following zimbabwe's independence after the rhodesian bush war, the university was renamed university of zimbabwe in 1980. in 1981, the first black principal, walter kamba, was appointed and in 1982 the royal charter was replaced by an act of parliament. student numbers rose from 1,000 in 1980 to 2,000 by 1985. in december 1998, the university hosted the eighth assembly of the world council of churches (wcc). the assembly, the wcc's chief governing body, met in the great hall on the uz campus.