The action by the Copperbelt University (CBU) Management to forcibly remove students sharing bed spaces from their rooms is irrational and inimical to the peace and stability of the country.
The abrupt change in student lodging arrangements by the University Management is motivated by some members of Management who are in a cahoot with private boarding houses owners to provide these landlords with business by the imposition of the so called “ban on squatting”
As FDD we expect Management to address the root cause of acute accommodation shortage at the University instead of harassing innocent students who are trying to earn an education in very uncondusive circumstance.
We therefore call for the immediate reinstatement of the five suspended students union leaders. Further, we call upon the government to adequately fund our learning institutions instead of allocating contingency funds to by elections.
Issued by:
Edith Z. Nawakwi
President- Forum For Democracy and Development. (FDD)
Ms Nawakwi, if only you can stick to morally right principles regarding governance, you will be useful. Your frequent undecidedness on political decisions taken not only by this government but even the previous, worries those of us who may want to see you as a level headed opposition leader. Well said on this issue and please stay on track.
Well said ,Edith has to be consistent with her approach to our politics nonetheless she has a strong case here.
Shame to CBU management ba ”tulilepo naifwe” imwe !
Nawakwi 2016
Notradamus, you are ignoring advice from your friends. We have told you to check your blog addiction, but you choose not to listen. This blog, blog, blog, blog, is not good for your health. Take a break. It’s going to drive you crazy. You are now blogging for the sake of it, just to see your name in print. Stop! Spend more time with your family.
Expenses on the by-elections are killing this nation. Imagine what K7 billion would do if allocated to CBU, UNZA, Evelyn Hone College or Mulungushi University? This would go a long way in solving some of the perenial problems faced by these institutions. You have people like Wynter Kabimba justifying the stu.pid expenditure on by-elections and claiming they are budgeted for. What nonsense.
“Parents, dont provoke your children”. Ephesians 6:4.
This closure is uncalled for and as a former student I feel for these innocent students. squatting is not new at these universities and one wonders what management is trying to do. Complicating an already complicated situation??? If street vending can be allowed what of squatting??? Mutale M. Musonda (Prof) was better kanshi!
bravo! govt said that street vendors will be allowed as long as govt has not yet created the jobs. I see the situation street vendors and students are in to be the same.
To be realistic it should not be the institution’s responsibility to provide accommodation to every student accepted. That formula worked when the enrollment numbers were low and dependent upon room availability. Most learning institutions in the world have limited bed space for students so the rest look for their own accommodation. Students who squat are equally exploited by the people housing them. They do not stay for free.
“Parents, do not provoke your children”. Ephesians 6:4.
@MSA use the word of God in context. Don’t just throw away verses you may not really understand the context in which they are used. To understand the context read from Eph.6:1.
Allow street venting ban squatting and yet squtters are students,my former squattee is heading a big conglomerate now.
YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT HERE. THE STUDENTS THAT PAY FOR ACCOMMODATION HAVE TURNED INTO LANDLORDS AND INVITE OTHER STUDENTS TO COME AND LIVE WITH THEM AT A FEE. THESE STUDENTS HAVE TURNED THEIR ROOMS INTO BUSINESS, SOME STUDENTS DO EVEN REPORT FOR CLASSES THEY JUST WAIT FOR MONTH END TO COLLECT RENTALS FROM OTHER STUDENTS. MANAGEMENT IS TRYING TO CLEAN UP ALL THIS MESS AND SOME POLITICIANS HAVE THE GUTS TO CONDEMN THE MOVE. CHECK YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH, IT’S NOT EVERY THING THAT YOU CAN GAIN POLITICAL MILEAGE ON. STUDENTS AUGHT TO BE DISCIPLINED.
Very useless contribution indeed no wonder your expression is in Upper Case stressing a very useless point , you seem to be a staunch PF i.d.i.o.t who has spent very little time in class ….if there r such cases most of us would have dropped off…..squatting has always been there …the New Vice Chancellor has failed to lead the institution he believes military orders is the only way unlike conclusive dialogue with the student UNION and others with interests……….
@Silence is Golden, you should have stayed silent. What you are saying happens but in the majority of the cases, student genuinely want to help one another. Do you honestly think most of the students would turnout so the very few students can collect rent?
Silence is golden, you are narrowing the issue to symptoms of the main problem. With or without political diversity in our democracy, the problem is big. Edith Nwakwi is not talking because she is a politician. She is talking because she is a Zambian, a parent and someone who emphathises with the students. You are behaving differently. You are narrow in your approach and you sound very uncaring and cruel. The administration does not need you to defend itself. They are capable of doing so – eg. they have just shut the institution. The students sub-letting rooms are merely symptomatic of the problem. Remember that those students bursaries are not enough to pay market rentals in surrounding surbabs. Have you thought of that or you are just mocking the poor student from a village in Kaputa?
you ar a fool. had the management implemented this policy the time i was a squatter, i wouldn’t have managed to finish my studies properly whilst staying at boarding houses. in the one is able to go to the lib at any time!!
govt said that street vendors will be allowed as long as govt has not yet created the jobs. I see the situation street vendors and students are in to be the same.
“Silence is Golden” it is OUGHT not AUGHT please!
The money wasted selfishly on by elections can indeed be used to build more HOSTELS that can reduce squatting from these expensive boarding houses. Let the Government help the students and not ruin the students future for lack of proper policies and priorities. HELP THE STUDENTS PLEASE and SAVE YOURSELVES like you promised to deliver.
I think the Uni is right to stop the squatting, but closure is one step too far. I too feel for the students, as these problems are not of their making. I hazard a guess, that many are from poor families, what short change? And some are self sponsored too i.e. they the full wacky of the fees. It leaves them in an even worse position than those who have Govt. bursaries. Nawakwi, however you perceive her motives, is right to fight this corner of the voiceless.
CBU Management should act like the adults that they are.
Zambia is lavishly country that does not care about how it uses its little and meagre resources.How can we agree to be building houses former presidents when what we have universities does not even meet international standards.The that is being spent on building houses for former presidents should be used to build more universities of international standards and also increasing the bed space of the existing universities and colleges around the country.Just take a look at our hospitals,from the time the colonialist left them up to the bedding space and theatre room are just the same. Yet we are building houses for FTJ who had in Ndola,LPM had one in Ndola,RB had one in Lusaka and a farm in Chipata then Micheal has houses in Kitwe,Lusaka and Ndola. Why should we waste money to benefit a few
people whom we have paid handsomely for doing nothing to develop this country yet our youth do not have even the little formal education required to shag off ignorance.Till we change our mindset as a country we never see any meaning development.The house that we build for so called former president wont be handed over to government when president and his spouse dies their families will inherit.As long as our youth are educated we will continue experiencing the same problems till the return of the son of man.No wonder most of us Zambians we will reach heaven tired because of problems in our country.
Edith has no proper data.In fact what can she now to convince pipo about accommodation at higher learning institutions.She was in govt for a long time but did nothing about it.It is like woman who after being divorced goes in public and starts despising the former husband that he has a small penis or that he is lazy in bed.The truth is,squatting at CBU exists at a fee.No one stays in a room for free.How I wish that money went into the coffers of CBU for building more hotels than into the pockets of individual students.