Government has indefinitely closed the Copperbelt University (CBU) with immediate effect and has given students 24 hours to vacate the premises effective 13:00hrs today.
Addressing a media briefing in Lusaka this morning, Education Minister Dr. Michael Kaingu said the closure does not affect the Schools of Medicine and Graduate studies.
Dr. Kaingu explained that the two schools have continued with their normal academic programmes and has since commended staff of the two schools for their dedication to duty.
Dr. Kaingu added that the graduation ceremony which is scheduled for 23rd and 24th July, 2015 will go ahead as planned.
And government through the Ministry of Education has revoked the appointment of Mwiya Songolo to the Council of CBU with immediate effect meaning that Mr. Songolo ceases to serve as a member of the Council.
The Education Minister has assured students at CBU that government will seek to make the closure as short as possible.
He has since appealed for calm from the students and allow the university council to work towards the resolution of the issues which have led to the disruption of the academic programme.
Dr. Kaingu has directed the university council to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the recent unfortunate events at the institution are not repeated in the future.
Good move send those dullards home, they are not ready to earn their degrees!
They have closed it because lecturers are on strike. What are you an *****?
I thought it was the Vice Chancellor who was supposed to be removed?
The man bought a tent at K3 Billion and he is still in office.
Not surprising, soon Kaingu and his friend will close the country! Does the closure also affect PF supporters at CBU? My point is PF is bad and toxic for all of us; sympathizers and non-sympathizers
Ministry to blame for allowing UNZA management to resign on the demand of workers.In Zambia we take it that once employed you have to get whatever you demand from your employer without considering the financial capacity of the organization of company.
This attitude is retrogressive.I respect those who resign when they find that the employer is not paying them enough.Workers who demand for the removal of a CEO are usually those who unproductive and play the role of Kachepa!!
Well done Minster, although too bad for the first years, my former students who have just gone to CBU.
these are side effects of polygamy… not what chama is accussing my kachemas from southern Zambia!!!… this polygmus minister kaingu must be arrested!…
signed uncle ndobo
Fake professor, Fake Dr Naison Ngoma holding government to ransom. Why? What does he know? Who is he sleeping with? Why is this fake credentials holding man so important to PF? he didn’t even qualify for the job allegedly and was just appointed by force.
Who is he that government can allow all the allowances paid to students to go to waste, can deny 6000 potential voters (Students) and their parents (bring the number of potential voters up to 18 000) the right to an education.
Parents and guardians are soooo frustrated by this. Imagine you send your child to school and take a deep breathe thinking fyapita only to be told to collect your child, find more transport money because they are being sent home without learning anything. Meanwhile we are in the 2nd half of the year.
Know vision PF . Millions were told but still voted .
End of thinking with this kind of reasoning.Each institution/ministry has got a person in charge, why blame PF and they are fired you again complain.
Infintu ni Lungu….You can not reap what you didn’t sow
Right Jacob and anyone else who thinks this has nothing to do with the ruling government PF needs to go back to school. Morons.
I think the vice chancellor must resign with immediate effect. Government has paid the students allowances up to September 2015 this money may go to waste. Also lecturers are being paid their salaries on a monthly basis meaning that government will lose on man hours because of one man Ngoma.
Shame. These are the young brains you need to develop the country. What a loss, economically? Wonder whether closures will increase when the new govt universities open.
I wish I could know the three
I d i o t s that disagreed with you, this is the reason why CBU needs to stay open so this type can go to school.
Closing the institution and inconveniencing thousands of people over one Dr. Naison Ngoma ( not a professor as perpoted by some sections, as he has done nothing academically, records are on the wall), is really belittling the issues raised by CBU Academic Union. Anyone who goes round and rubs shoulders Ngoma (which Kaingu has just done) is actually a danger not only to the nation, but to themselves as well as posterity….Cry My Beloved Country!!!
The Truth is Not far….I sugest Kaingu should have studied the issues objectively, other than listening to P.S. Kanza, who is a business partner of Ngoma in plundering CBU resources…what a shame!!
Appreciate what other people have done.Are you behind the stoppage?Give evidence that he is not a professor!!Don’t guess.
Closing the institution and inconveniencing thousands of people over one Dr. Naison Ngoma ( not a professor as perpoted by some sections, as he has done nothing academically, records are on the wall), is really belittling the issues raised by CBU Academic Union. Anyone who goes round and rubs shoulders Ngoma (which Kaingu has just done) is actually a danger not only to the nation, but to themselves as well as posterity….Cry My Beloved Country!!!
The Truth is Not far….I sugest Kaingu should have studied the issues objectively, other than listening to P.S. Kanza, who is a business partner of Ngoma in plundering CBU resources…what a shame!!!
Closed the University, so what next???
What cbu lectures are asking for is pure anarchy and who is going to manage the university the way they want it managed if you look at their case they say the man and is management does not dialog but they haven’t stated the day and issues he refused to discuss with them apart from saying management has come up with a alcohol policy without the union .The truth is they think what happened at unza should happen to cbu but the cases were different good help this country and if they get away with this cbu will be unmanageable becouse management will be a puppet of the union and if they say the man doesn’t talk to them iam made to believe they downed tools when the man was away as regards the financial problems who in zambia doesn’t know that grz is broke giving students fake bursaries .
Correct yewe!These good observations you have made.Try to be an employer and you see what it is when monthend approaches.Patience workers.If they don’t you quit.
Why has the school closed?
Government must stop giving fake bursaries to students 50 percent without giving cbu money institution which are broke like that country in Europe are a ripe for unlest you have people fighting over nothing becouse they want something when there is nothing like we are seeing in that country
Closure of public universities in Zambia is a farcical charade which recurs annually! Why cant public universities run on a quasi basis or completely independent and manage their costs and revenues. Government should be on a public private partnership. Government already advertises for bursaries so its not a question of only the elite accessing university.If private universities can operate successfully, why not the public universities.
Too bad, too too bad. The students and their parents/guardians are the major loses. Government too. Why close the University?
*major LOSERS..(after-lunch effects, lol!)
Im Proud of you PF. making the nation Dumber
Zambia suwa, the land of my birth, this is more than sad. A whole university closed!! What imcompetent leaders we have!! I don’t understand why any single Zambian would support the PF government after this!!!! This extreme. This is ridiculous!!!
Let us get our priorities RIGHT & deal with issues of power shortages rather than closing universities permanently.
Power outage – what is the cost implications to Zambia. i propose setting up energy crisis team of experts to deal with quick solutions to the current load-shedding by ZESCO to avert an economic catastrophe. GRZ must not treat this as business as usual approach. Options are available to eliminate/reduce load-shedding by enhancing water flow to power generating facilicities.
Someone must get the Minister of Energy & Mines to quickly convene a meeting to find remediation measures to the costly Load-shedding: the very survival of PF depends on this.
We need our Universities to be more focused, more innovative and put STUDENTS FIRST! Unfortunately this is something that continues to elude us.
What has happened here is a classic example of lack of academic voice/input in the executive leadership and management decision making of the University. There is a clear disconnect between the CBU council and the academic community’s interests. The best thing to do is engage in broad and open debate about the issues affecting the University. That way staff will engage with and contribute to improving the University. However this requires both parties and other stakeholders to set their interests aside.
That said. Is there anything these Unions won’t strike over? I’m sure they’d strike over something stup!d like the toilet seat being left…
Ninshi every set back @PF,laziness @ PF only HH can save us! This pathetic fallacy syndrome of mulungu eka ndiye aziba is what has put us in this distasteful pickle! Continue your negative attitude in life at your own peril!
iyeeeeee, HH is building a university of excellence with expatriate lecturers…govt has faild to run cbu.. how are they going to manage running the paul mushinda and robert matako makasa university.. iyee imwee. katwishi mayo..
When shit happens, you deserve it! You voted for Lungu in very large numbers on the CB so enjoy the consequences of your bigoted actions! Bukuba bwamina bwa nyenyisa mikalani tuni!
A clique of academics within ranks of Academic Staff Union trumpeted against Prof Ngoma when he was appointed to to VC’s position. At the inception they actually wanted their “own kind” to head this national institution by accusing Minister of Education (Phiri) to have bull-dozed appointment of Ngonga to VC.
When CBU opened for Term 1, there was a problem of implementing a centralised Teaching Time-Table, augmented by non payment of bursary allowances. As Central Admin opted to use the old time-table, this ‘clique’ within the Union used the opportunity to disrupt operations at CBU with crazy ideas of firing CBU Council, force resignation of the VC (Unza style) and accusing Prof. Ngoma of having granted an Hon. degree to VJ Mwaanga. What a set of crazy University intellectuals!
Does the Minister of Education have the power to close a public university? Is this not the responsibility of the University senate? And can Kaingu withdrawal a representative of the academic union from the University council unilaterally? Is this not a recipe for anarchy using intimidatory tactics?
THIS IS TOTALLY MADNESS FROM THE PF GOVERNMENT HONESTLY A HIGHER INSTITUTION LIKE CBU BEEN SHUTDOWN LIKE A KIOSK WHERE IS ALL DE EURO BOND? WHAT HAVE DONE WITH IT? ROADS AND YET THE FUTURE LEADERS ARE COMING DAILE DUE TO DE SO CALLED POLITICAL SLANGS
We hear from the grape vine that a senior (professorial) academic had sought for the position of VC at CBU; but the Search Committee appointed by CBU Council did not short-list him among persons who were called for interview. This man later applied for position of VC at Mukuba University but his bid failed too. The man has become so depressed that he has lamentably failed to run his School as Dean.
We understand from the grape-vine too that this senior academic is part of the clique that want to remove Prof. Ngoma in the same way the Academic Union at Unza pushed out the late Prof. Siwela to pave way for the installation a user-friendly Prof. Mutale Chanda. The clique wish to set in a northerner at CBU because Ngoma has embraced people from other regions. Food for thought.
Mphangwe,
How does the issue of tribe creep into this discussion? Which clique wishes to set in a northerner at CBU “because Ngoma has embraced people from other regions?” Do some of you guys have problems to look at issues non-tribally and more objectively? The President CBU academic staff union is from Western province. The Secretary General is from Eastern province. How could such an ethnically diverse executive conspire to impose a northern VC on CBU?
Maybe politicians should not be making decisions about our universities. Politicians make very bad decision that are affecting the running of our institutions. It is very bad that students can be subjected to this kinda conditions during their studies. There is not even guarantee that you will graduate within four years with these closures. How I wish universities can run independently and professionally. Lecturers should also be given practicing certificates so that those erring can punished. We cannot have lecturers calling off work without consideration of students, it is just so unfair.
One day my boss told me that tribalism is what failed politicians and workers use to justify their failers and protect and defence their foolishness
Amen to the truth and words too wise. I have always thought that.