Students at CBU defy management on Squatting

Students at the Copperbelt University (CBU) in Kitwe have continued to defy managements’ decision on the ban of squatting and subletting of rooms at the campus.

CBU management at the opening of the 2013 academic calendar a week ago announced their decision to enforce the ban on squatting and subletting of rooms, which they said was aimed at safeguarding the health and safety of students.

This became a source of conflict between management and students, as the former engaged more security personnel to evict student squatters from the rooms, an operation that left a number of students sleeping in the cold for the first one week of the 2013 academic year, which resumed over two weeks ago.

But a Times check around the campus yesterday revealed the status-quo on squatting had continued despite managements non-reversal of the controversial squatting ban.

Copperbelt University Students Union (COBUSU) general secretary Levy Sakala said there was no compromise yet between management and students over the issue of squatting.

“Management has not communicated anything to indicate whether they have rescinded their decision to ban squatting and subletting of rooms but however the students have continued to squat,” Mr Sakala said.

He said save for the first week, there had been no more eviction or intimidation of students during the last week.

Mr Sakala asked CBU management to consider allowing students not interested in staying in boarding houses to continue squatting within the campus because living in campus was more convenient for them to access study facilities such as library and other as opposed to when they were in boarding houses.