GOVERNMENT has condemned the tendency by students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) Great East Road campus in Lusaka to stone motor vehicles every time they are aggrieved.
On Monday night, the students rioted and damaged three motor vehicles in protest against delayed payments of meal allowances of K450,000 each from the Government.
Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Lillian Kapulu, who assured the students of receiving their meal allowances by today, said she was saddened that they had continued to cause damage to property.
In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Kapulu emphasised the need for the students to refrain from resorting to violence and damaging other people’s property whenever they had grievances.
She said the Government had not refused to pay the students and that it was wrong for them to rush to the road and destroy property of the taxpayers and challenged them to reflect on their actions.
Lusaka Province police chief, Greenwell Ng’uni also condemned the students’ behaviour.
According to a Times reporter who rushed to the university, police temporarily closed the Great East Road at Arcades and Munali roundabouts to prevent the angry students from stoning more motorists.
The students had gathered at the ‘Monk Square’ at 19:30 hours chanting slogans. Others carried stones demanding an explanation from University of Zambia Student Union (UNZASU) officials on why they were not paid on time.
They said since December last year when they opened school, they had not received their allowances.
UNZASU vice-president Simataa Simataa, who tried to address the unruly students, was almost beaten up.
The students said the union officials had been inconsistent on matters of improving their welfare and demanded for their resignation.
A reporter from UNZA Radio who they suspected to be an officer from the office of the president was almost harassed and was only saved by some fellow students who recognised him.
Mr Simataa explained that the money delayed due to some transactions at Zanaco, the bank he said the Government had engaged to pay the students by Saturday last week.
[Times of Zambia]
Ba UNZA tabakalete amano yabupuba!!!!!! Elo ati these re our future leaders. they re all rubbish. Ata, it makes me sick in my stomach and makes me feel like vomiting.
Stone Age behavior!
I also wonder why they delay paying them when the money is available.
Could it be that those in charge keep it in the bank to generate some INTEREST??
😕
l-) ubufontini bwachilamo….and these are same people we expect to be future candidates for the republican presidency ngabapoka ama degree! lord have have mercy!:o:o:o
The behavior of UNZA students will never change it has been going on from one generation to another. Its party of UNZA culture and yet these are the same Chaps that will start speaking loudly about a Presidential candidate having a degree.Their behavior is not different from our beloved call boys that are always refereed to as gangs.
There is nothing wrong in asking UNZA adm as to why their meal allowance is delayed but they way they are sending the msg is wrong that is why people end up blaming them instead of the govt.
One wonders why in almost all the cases of delayed payments, money is immediately available after some stone throwing by the students:-?
These UNZA are students are stupid. I wonder why they don’t use live bullets. I pay very high TAx , over a million and i don’t want my money to be used for someones else child to get a meal allowance. Let the Parents pay for there Children 100%.I did not take part in the production of these children
Chiluba tought them a lesson and that generation neva misberhavied til now. The solution- Kill 50 there will be talk and the madness will stop
Close it and send them to the villages to cultivate the fields these unthankful chaps.
You know at the end of the day, I think they should not all get any money. One the damage property of the same tax payers who dont benefit from any of their out put. I think it is complete nonsense by the students. How many students in Zambia get meal allowances. I mean some poor zambians that works the whole month cannot even get that 450,000 at the end of the month for their hard work,
Why should they damage private property because of meal allowance?these chaps are behaving stupid and they are very unthankfull.After all it is our tax money that they use and on top of that they should destroy our vehicles? please arrest them and put chi university to close.
:((before you vomit a commit,try to put yourself in their shoes.We all know money is there and dilogue doesnt and will never work in as far as campus problems are concerned.So if you have never been in that situation then shut up.
Is this why students abroad on BC have not also received their allowances?
can they be shot if they act in this way please! natufulishi pa zed! aids is not balancing the population!
number 11, if that is your son in the picture, then Condolences mwana
These fullish boys deserve prison like their two friends from CBU. Such behaviour is primitive and belongs to the dark ages.
You can only condemn UNZA students if you have never been a student there. Some of us who were privileged to earn a degree from there (and now have meet the minimum requirement for presidency) understand frustrations students go through especially if the meager meal allowances is ridiculously delayed. In as much as stone throwing in intolerable, people should come to terms with the fact that stone throwing is part UNZA student ETHOS which have been unconventionally passed on from one generation of students to another. Those of you with kids, wait until they grow up and have qualified to go there, then you will understand what I am talking about. The allowance is far from being enough in terms of meeting their basic needs and the best is govt not to delay paying them.
Ba Mwinemushi , that does not equal to destroyng private property. [-x I would love to see one of these chaps, I beg your pardon, I mean one of these future presidential candidates do the same to their own family property….like setting fire to their own thatched houses at the villages they come from. :-w
Why do we Zambians not stand up for each other? It is true stone throwing is wrong but why let the students starve? Unza students should learn to refrain from stone throwing but the Zambian government should also learn to work efficiently to avoid such embarrassing acts!