THE University of Zambia (UNZA) Council will be forced to close down the institution if minority students on Government sponsorship don’t stop disruptions to the academic calendar, council chairperson Sherry-Anne Thole has said.
And Ms Thole has advised political parties to desist from using students at UNZA and any other learning institution as a platform to further their political agendas.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Thole said students have been advised to follow procedure in addressing their grievances and challenges affecting their welfare at UNZA.
She said that riots that rocked the university in the past few days emanated from delay in payment of meal allowances to some students on Government bursary, status of the Commonwealth Youth Centre, water and sanitation challenges.
“We appeal to students, in particular the UNZASU executive, to create a conducive learning and teaching environment and avoid any further disruptions to the academic calendar. Should the situation deteriorate to unacceptable levels, senate will have no option but to close the institution with serious consequences,” Ms Thole said.
“There are 24,000 students registered with UNZA. Of this number, only 30 percent are government sponsored, the rest are self-sponsored and closing the university will be the last option,” she said.
Ms Thole said on the night of November 14, riots broke out at UNZA Great East Road campus, resulting in students blocking roads and the police moved in to control the situation and effectively managed to move the students back into campus.
Unfortunately, one student sustained serious injuries and is receiving treatment at the University Teaching Hospital,” she said.
The wishes of over 80% Zambians with regards to UNZA must be respected before it is too late. The wish of majority Zambians is to ask the Government to close UNZA immediately, namailo litali, until February or even March 2015.The students at this institution are notorious criminals who are hiding under the banner of meal allowances. Most of students at UNZA are Satanists thirst of blood no wonder they resolve to violence each time they have a case with the government. And please this thing of paying students meal allowances should come to an end, they are not they only govt students in Zambia. The only deference is that they used leakages and corruption to find their way in. Let their parents or guidians pay for them. The govt should listen to the wishes of majority Zambians. CLOSE UNZA.
takes one to recognise the other
The University seems not to understand that it has DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES to all its students, especially the self sponsored, it should be doing more to contain the situation, if it knows that a certain Sponsor’s failures are behind the disruptions – it should suspend all students sponsored by that sponsor till they come up with a guaranteed method of ensuring they pay their students on time!!
Good reasoning and advise
The riots are precipitated by govt’s failure to pay the students allowances and as such self sponsored students would logically not be part of the riots. However, students must also realize that they also have duties and responsibilities. Damaging property belonging to people who have nothing to do with running of the institution is utterly irresponsible and disgusting!
Considering the circumstances it would just be right to close it until from 1st December to 1st February 2016. The situation is too volatile without the students agitating as well. These are unique circumstances so those 70% self sponsored will understand if you shut it down for only 2 months.
As for those 30% entitled brats. Grow up. You are among the privileged few on bursary and you are behaving like the world owes you. like tax payers owe you. Kupusa bati!
Govt please make sure that this is the 1st intake to have their bursary converted to a student loan.
Lets close the university of Zambia up to the time when we elect another govt. other than pf,i have hope upnd will sort out the problem and if pf bounces back then better close unza till 2017
There are students who have UNZA as their voting center so if you close it you defranchise them especially those coming from far away places
U ARE EVEN WASTING TIME JUST CLOSE THE DAMN PLACE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY PAY FOR THE DAMAGES IN FULL BEFORE CAMPUS IS REOPEND LIKE MID NEXT YEAR . ENOUGH IS ENOUGH , THEY CLAIM TO BE ADULTS YET BEHAVE LIKE KINDERGARTEN KIDS , TREAT THEM LIKE ADULTS , LET THEM PAY FOR THE DAMAGES IN FULL !
LAST TIME THEY DAMAGED PROPERTY, YOU CHARGED THEM K200 WHICH THEY CAN EASILY PAY FROM THEIR ALLOWANCES. CHARGE THEM AN EQUIVALENT OF ONE SEMISTER’S TUITION FEES AND SEE HOW MANY WILL COME BACK AND HOW MANY WILL EVER SUPPORT THOSE THUGS STARTING RIOTS UNNECESSARILY.
Close Unza till after elections, Govt is is being run like a headless chicken.People don’t want to respect our Acting president ,trying to pull the racial card when no one is really Zambian, in fact the was no Zambia until 1964. and that is why someone said “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandh.
As some of us had predicted this was going to lead to closure of the institution. The influence that unza as a collective body would have on this by election is something the current government would want. On the issue of only 30 percent of students being on government scholarship, The Motto as students has always been. ” UNZASU UNITED SHALL NEVER BE DEFEATED” AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL” VIVA UNZASU!!!”. It would be morally wrong for the privileged to watch their brothers and sisters starve as they walk passed them on the way to the student centre. This goes to show even more of how our governments are failing. The number of students expecting help from government is only 1/3 of the student body? Bet you there is enough in reserve some where to buy campaign vehicles..
Correction ” ……wouldn’t want…”
This is the problem with hand-outs. UNZA and CBU govt sponsored students think we (tax payers) owe them. Please convert bursaries to student loan scheme and these riots will come to an end. As adults, the students must take responsibility forthwith.
UNZA is stuck in the 1960/70’s. There is no university in SADC which is shut down by riots. The culture must change, it was ok to do what students in the 1970s/80s not now. The rioting culture must change.
Totally agree. The bursaries should be student loans. We also have to make sure that a service and repayment contract is attached to them. Once one graduates they are obligated to work in Zambia for the first two years and are only given clearance to get their diplomas when the loan is half paid and give them 10 years to pay the balance. All their future benefits and right to own any real property is attached to that obligation. The government has to deal with the current crisis in a humane and sustainable way. Closing the institution is not the best of alternatives.