The University of Zambia (UNZA) main Campus in Lusaka requires over K300 billion to successfully complete infrastructure development.
And UNZA seeks to construct a language centre next year.
This came to light in Lusaka today when UNZA Deputy Vice Chancellor Wilson Mwenya led a group of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) drawn from different companies and financial institutions on a conducted inspection of the infrastructure at the campus.
ZANIS reports that Dr. Mwenya named some of the dilapidated buildings at the institution as the library and students’ hostels which require a face lift while the ‘abandoned’ Coja project needs to be completed.
Structures at the Coja project have since been abandoned by five named contractors following Zambia’s loss to host the All Africa Games where UNZA was to provide accommodation to the visiting delegates had Zambia hosted the games.
Dr. Mwenya said infrastructure was a major challenge as there was little attention accorded in this area and called for investment at the country’s largest and highest learning institution from both Government and the private sector.
He appealed to both the Government and the private sector to consider partnering with the institution in order to make learning more enjoyable and conducive.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor however, commended Government for the funds it was receiving as well as other cooperating partners like the Japanese Government through Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Barclays Bank that have come on board.
On plans to construct a language centre, he said the facility would be financed by both the Zambian and Japanese governments though he did not disclose how much the project would cost.
In response, Education Permanent Secretary Andrew Phiri appealed to the private sector to consider partnering with Government in infrastructure development.
Mr. Phiri said Government placed infrastructure development as number one priority and noted that that the State alone could not manage because resources were inadequate.
The PS said Government was in a hurry to invest in the education sector hence its plans to upgrade the University and other tertiary institutions which were earmarked for a facelift.
He also disclosed that over 100 basic and 47 high schools were being constructed in an effort to attain the 2015 Millennium Development Goal number-two.
Earlier, Acting Education Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa said Government through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) had invited the private sector to participate in enhancing national development.
Professor Lungwangwa said this could be achieved if the private sector as stakeholders became proactive by identifying projects to undertake like Barclays Bank had done by adopting one of the hostels at the University.
UNZA was opened in 1966 but its infrastructure is a source of concern to both various stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the K13 billion worth new students’ hostels at the campus were nearing completion.
UNZA Dean of Students Hector Chiboola disclosed that only K500 million was needed for putting final touches before the building could be commissioned before the end of this year.
The 60-space storey building being constructed by Hua Jiang, a Chinese firm would be handed over to the Government soon.
[ ZANIS ]
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I am told some students share rooms. thats disgraceful, I think the president ought to cut on his trips abroad, and act now and not when we are near polling time.
reminds me of my white boyfriend ‘s university (top in UK) thames valley university the student union stopped and abandones classes till their needs were met, why cant this happen at UNZA. thanks
We are in serrious reverse gear in every thing.
Mushota you have a white boyfriend?congrats!!!!!! Ha-Haa-Haa-Haa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wrong priorities and a culture of accepting mediocrity is our undoing.The British PM use a cheaper official car than RB,he uses commercial flights to save taxpayer money while RB is clinging on to is challenger jet and they passed an austerity budget while zambia spends with reckless abandon on ministers gratuities and uneccesary travel.Even the mayor of London cycles to work and the one of NY uses the subway to work.No such concerns for taxpayer or donor aid to bother our overfed and undeserving political class.
thanx to those who have come on board to support UNZA otherwise it wouldn’t have been for our poor govt to fund the project..Cheers to Japanese govt for their continued support to zambia.
If 3 silly presidentials trips can be avoided, the money which goes to the allowances, meals, lodging, gas, security, booze and gifts can be used to enhance and successfully complete infrastructure development at UNZA. I need to know the cost of one presidential trip. No one has been brave enough to disclose the amount except talking about the economical benefits those trips brings, although no one has been able to state specific benefits.
close UNZA and send all students to china and brazil, after all the president has made friends with presidents of those countries. It will give him a better excuse to travel saying he has gone to visit students abroad.
Those incomplete projects were initiated by former student Levy Mwanawasa. How can the nomad RB be interested in an institution he never entered its library? Dora Siliya (where is it now?) never even graduate at Evelyn Hon College, left in 2nd year to work at ZNBC, how can they understand the importance of Education? Only KK can among the living presidents, he is chancellor at the new Cavendish University in Kafue.
#7 Kandolo, read below coment from General Shiks.
“In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Gen Shikapwasha said the K5 billion quoted by Mr Hichilema for each trip was by far lower than the value of the investment even if the figure were true.” This was reported on 18th September 2010, If I am not mistaken.
MUSHOTA, YOU CALL THAMES VALLEY A TOP UNIVERSITY IN UK??? YOU ARE A SMALL TIME JOKE. WHAT MAKES TVU TOP UNIVERSITY? MAYBE ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU SHOULD COME TO OXFORD AND CAMPARE. UNZA IS NOT SO BAD. SOME OF US WE WERE AT UNZA, SHARED ROOMS AND ENDED UP AT OXFORD. AS FOR YOUR WHITE BOY FRIEND, IF HE WAS AT TVU HE SHOULD NOT BRAG THAT HE WAS AT A TOP UK UNIVERSITY. TVU IS NOT EVEN AMONG THE TOP TEN IN UK. ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND MWAICHE.
Mushota amano yalishota.
Observer even in the US we share college dorm rooms mushota continues to baffle my intelligence. Plus mushota is probably a dude. JICA and the Japanese government are all weather friends.
Mushota pliz do not be a wannabe and exhibit your ignorance on this blog.
Why always look to GRZ for financing?You have products which you can sell but you do not .You behave like a cabbage farmer who grows his products and lets them to rot while looking for help from someone to sell on his behalf.That institution is so elitist it does not connect to the general public.Zambians are sending their children in doves overseas because they do not want to waste their time and money at UNZA this is the money which you should be tapping but you are still in 1966 your programmes do not change ,there’ no initiative or zeal embrace latest teaching methodology.Universities all over the world develop new technologies through research and thats how they make money.Ours just want to be spoon fed ,what about a child in Kalabo?Unza it is time to grow and move forward
YAYA well articulated :)
Negative student behaviour has also contributed to the decline in confidence by who would users at the institution .Students who who thankless to the tax payers and governement for the money given to them over years.Stoning cars along Great East road leading to numerous closures has led to lost confidence in the once mighty University of Zambia which used to attract students from the sub region in the past.Zambia is the only country in the world which gives out money like that ,in Australia for example students who can not pay for their fees government loans them money which they pay back using the tax system once you are employed and your salary is above a ceratin amount meaning you can’t run away.
#17 Yaya, do you think you could have paid back loan to GRZ, you are lucky that you only passed in 4 subjects that is why you could get to Australia. You are so negative.
EnkaRasha what u say should be food for thought for many of us Africans. How come an economy that is 5000 times more prolific than ours is cutting on costs while a begging HIPC nation is still extravagantly spending on Presidential trips and Ministerial limousines apart from stealing donor aid? Isn’t Musokotwane supposed to have led in cutting costs instead of the British Finance Minister or Chancellor of the whatever they call him. Rupiah and other African Kings like pretending they are wealthy when all they are misusing is taxpayers money.
YAYA thats well said. to the foo.l who thinks you can only go to unza with ten distinctions let him dream on. yes you dont need to be a rocket scientist to go college. a few grades are adequate. unza management is sick and akways depends on handouts from govt. we built that school at great taxpayers expense thanks to KK. look at the private colleges in zambia they are self sustained and charge fees treble what unza asks for. cavindish, zicas, zamim, lusaka university etc. how many zambian kids are studying in australia, jburg, namibia, usa, uk, and all this money could have gone to unza with good planning.
Lady gaga nibanani bakusambileshe ichisungu? you cant use yes ( a positive word) and dont (a negative word) in the same sentence. For instance, your sentence “yes you dont need…” is fundamentally wrong. you need to go back to school and learn the rudments of sentence construction and mechanism. Your command of the language is very elementary ba lady gaga.
UNZA is quite elitist as an institution and in the way it operates.Sometimes you feel not even GRZ owns it, but itself!!! No doubt innovation, research and advanced teaching methodologies will go a long way in the success of this institution.At the moment the place seems quite closed up to public input and by this I mean the corporate world getting excited to invest their moneys in it.Sad but true. We should be glad however that the institution continues to function albeit not without incident.Management there has been known to mismanage funds.Also sad for a clique of professionals.One point that I think makes interesting reading is that the place needs K300bn.In some sectors of our country, this money would build a whole new university!! I stand to be corrected.
Unza bane is just anaza institution in zambia. Times have changed. Everything has changed. Those billions can be used to even build another unzaversity elsewhere. its just another mathafuken university now. Wake up. Government can’t do everything for u. Welcome cavendish, open university chakuti chakuti. Mwafwa napanga.
Ba Mwinemushi he hasn’t broken the English too much. When u chided him I thought he had zaulad throughout his contribution. Its just one error namwebo.Mubeleleniko uluse.
Looks like when Mwanaswasa died all projects died with him even the vision. Its sad. I wonder where government is taking the money that Mwanawasa managed to use very well and they cant..anyhow thats clear its poor management of resources and no windfall taxes. in short everything is poorly managed by the current regime.
#17 YAYA. There is too much political interference in state institutions in Zambia. If it so happened that the university became successful in sourcing funds from outside the country, I am sure MMD would get rid of the management and replace them with MMD stooges so that they can steal the money. The University has never been ran properly ever since Prof. Goma left the institution.
#17 YAYA. I have to say that bright students still do well at UNZA.