Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education Minister, John Phiri,it is not sustainable for his ministry at the moment to sponsor all the students who get enrolled into public universities namely UNZA Main Campus, Copperbelt and Mulungushi Universities.
Dr Phiri was responding to a question raised by UPND Choma Central MP, Cornelius Mweetwa, who wanted to find out from government what led to the death of the first year student at UNZA on 30th September, 2014; why the Government has only provided bursaries to 2,000 first year students out of the 6,000 who have been admitted to the institution for the 2014/2015 academic year and what sustainable measures the government has taken to ensure that the University operates as a proper public university.
Dr Phiri said government spends K25,833 on average for each sponsored university student on accommodation, meal, tuition fees and book allowances and it would cost government over K154.9 million to support all the 6000 students.
And Government has regretted the death of Musanka Makwamba who allegedly committed suicide after she was denied a University of Zambia (UNZA) bursary.
It has emerged that Makwamba, a former Kabulonga Girls’ pupil, was accepted by UNZA to study for a degree in the School of Humanities and was not successful for a bursary but like most Zambians her family could not afford the tuitions and associated fees hence she took her life.
The minister said it was a wake-up call for his ministry over the demise of the student and wished the bereaved family God’s guidance during the difficult time.
Meanwhile Dr Phiri has said that government will transform the Bursaries Committee in public universities into a Loans Board which will be over-seeing the revolving fund.
Dr Phiri said that government is in the process of operationalising the loan scheme and is committed to providing a bursary scheme for tertiary education for all students who qualify to public institutions of higher learning in line with government aspirations.
Dr Phiri said government takes cognisance of the efforts of parents in prioritising education of their children.
He was quick to point out that government will endeavour to lighten the burden of parents through the provision of loan schemes especially for vulnerable students.
Dr Phiri thanked government for increasing allocation to the education sector but quickly challenged public universities to scale-up income generating ventures.
Typical response from chimbwis no plan.
Three years in power and yet PF has no plan of how to run public institutions.
There is no money to sponsor the bright kids at a local university and yet the government has managed to sponsor children of ministers and PS abroad to study. Over 50 students have sponsored to study in the UK and USA at a cost of over £20,000 per year, making it £1million in total.
Its shame really.
To PF education is not a priority at all because there are gifts to gain from.
There is nothing impossible. we can find that kind of money if not much much more if we seriously want to improve our education.
In fact bursaries should not only be for public university students alone but must be extended to all public colleges too..
We spend much more on irrelevant things that dont even add value to our wellbeing as a nation.
Like health, education is critical to the future of our country and we cant afford to mess with it
If we truly cant find the money then bring back free education like was the case in the UNIP era.
that money has to be found
Sata and his entourage to the USA on the retext of attending the UNGA consumed more than that K159m so denying students access to the last hurdle of their path to any chance of success is and should be a shameful act by Govt claiming to be for the pro poor and for development
2016 you are going panga family. By hook or crook you are going.
Imwe ba Chimbwi, get money from our copper mines !!! Just increase mineral royalties so that foreigners who are running our mines can pay more. We have copper and we need to benefit from it.
I hope the spirit of that girl will come back to destroy PF completely if there is anything like dead people’s spirit.
What PF did is shameful and it has left a permanent mark in all citizens ‘s minds and hearts.
So very possible….. Extremely possible! Cut all the wasteful costs like By elelections, wasteful international journeys of 100 ministers and their assistants, if you do that for 6months, you will have saved more than required! Plus get all taxes from as far back as ten years ago and move on to ministers and private entities to paying more taxes, there you have it!
I hereby appeal to Gary Nkombo and HH, to establish a fund so that we can donate what ever we can to help some of the students from extremely poor families. If you can mobilise all UPND branches around the country, to hold some fundraising activity at which donations will be given towards this fund I am sure people will donate what ever they can manage.
Once the fund has been established, please us know in the diaspora so that we can donate either by bank transfer or western union.
These kids need helping before ISIS can sympathise with them and indoctrinate them. Its such desperate kid that ISIS is currently targeting in Africa.
The whole issue makes my blood boil.
@Gen
I totally agree with you on this one.
Once in a while I see a lot of sense in your comments. The PF just got $1billion on to of $750 million plus what they have been collecting in taxes, surely they can get some money to help some of those students who come villages and shanty compounds.
It would be great if they help at least more than half of those 4000 students.
The money is there if PF can cut unnecessary deputy cabinet posts, non FDI contributing embassies, unnecessary DC posts in the wilderness, and many other unproductive wings of the government.
Has the whole $1.75 billion been gobbled already? If so on what?
What is happening under PF is what I would call ruling the country by way of kicking the can down the road. HH calls it chipantepante.
Why build universities which will just end up as white elephants? Why even embark on such ambitious projects when they can’t run and maintain the existing ones? That Muzindo and Makasa universities will not be opened because PF did plan for it properly. It will just end up being another money wasting scheme.
I would have repected PF if the money spend on some of these universities was spent on building manufacturing factory shells and equip them with manufacturing machinery to manufacture some products which Zambia imports and sponsoring deserving higher education students at college and university level.
It has taken Musanka Makwamba’s death to make the Zambian government acknowledge that there is a problem! The PF government may be blamed but MMD is more to blame because they had 20 years to work on the loan scheme. They took over from UNIP which had provided free education which could no longer be sustained. Mpondela and other former UNZA alumni really tried to push the MMD government to quickly work and rollout a sustainable funding scheme which fell on deaf ears. Maybe because our politicians prefer a population that is subservient or passive for purposes of manipulating their decision-making when voting they would rather have a smaller number of university-level and politically conscious persons in the population. UNIP, MMD and PF have benefitted from this unfortunate situation.
Gen……..
Thank you very much. For the first time you have commented like a caring person and not a thug. For the first time you have agreed with Zambians on an issue that affects your Party, PF. Please, this is what working together means. It is not debasing, insulting and threatening the very existence of a fellow Zambian called HH. That is not a solution. I have followed the press statements of HH and Presidents of other political parties – I have never come accross anything they have said which could have led you to use the language you use against HH. For me, you represent intolerance, terrorist tactics to shut out any voice against the PF government. The PF has made mistakes but it has also done quite well in other areas. Your attitudes creates fear and hate for PF.
@Wanzelu, Gen & it’s a worry,
The views from all you three have summed-up brilliantly what is at stake here and I need not read any more.
How much will Jubilee celebrations cost? What better way to celebrate Jubilee than to give our bright young people a chance at life by cancelling the extravagance and instead spending the money on 6,000 of our brightest students?
@J.Phiri, you can’t say its IMPOSSIBLE, before you even ask HH to send Nawakwi to go and help Ba Chikwanda make calculations.
These PFs everything is impossible to them…
– Constitution, no money, its impossible
– Ba Sata rest… no no its impossible
– Guys Scott to act-president… no no its impossible
– Replace Masumba… no no its impossible
@Nostradamus
Good point right there.
PF ni ba chimbwi chabe.
@Nostradamus
kikikikikiki,,, what ba Phiri is saying indirectly when he says IMMPOSSIBLE,,,, is that the only possible money is for bye-elections and working holidays to New york, Israel, south Korean etc,,,,
so everyone should start from the bottom like ba president,,, run away from school, be kaponya/sweeper,, then become concillor,,, then one day maybe you will be president….,,
leading by example kabili
UNiversity education is not a priority in Zed. We need plenty of technical and crafts colleges. South Africa is learning that it is silly to have too many university graduates when the nation needs artisans. The graduates end up unemployed in a country that is looking for skilled people to be electricians, automotive technicians, boilermakers, etc
You are right on this one. Developing countries like ours does not need too many graduates and for what anyway. Thats why some graduates have not even bothered to stay here but find jobs elsewhere because we don’t really need them now.
Sorry I meant undeveloped countries like ours.
Umwine….
We forgive you because, obviously you do not know what it is to be a university graduate.
Yes, we need more polytechnics and we should increase enrollment and commensurate financial and logistical support to the colleges and students.
And these are the same morons building Mulakupikwa University?
Been asking myself why we are building a University per province? This is really a shame. I know im already over taxed, but as a former beneficiary of bursary, I dont think I can refuse an extra K500 monthly tax as bursary loan (in retrospect). I tell you, that bursary is the real difference betweeen “some of us” and so called “failures”!!
Just for the Record, and to put the real numbers to this context Lukulu, Kapiri and Feira By-Elections gobbled K17.7 million.
if K157.9 million is needed to sponsor 6000 students, doing simple maths K 17.7 million will sponsor 673 students which is about 16.8 % of the 4000 that have been thrown out.
Now how many By-Elections have we had?
I leave it there for you to judge
Exactly..,,..
How possible os it that when other nations are so viscious in making sure that Zambia’s future is secured and intact by giving our youths à better education? Am so like lost for words! What’s with you mangroves? I kick it up It down he’ do you have any idea what kind of Zambia you Will leave behind if jou sacrifice the young ones? Trouble,economic scars crashed forever, you play With education you are doomed for eternity! Utter nonsense, thugs, Maffias, just what kind of game are you playing at? You are all the same….. F$$king scavengers!
Wanzelu and my fellow General, you raised very good observations. winding a clock backwards, all those those fellows like Dr John Phiri, all benefited from free Education offered by Dr Kenneth Kaunda. Just ask, how many Bye elections were created at the expense of these vital areas that can change the countries economy? I find it bizzare for Dr Phiri to simply say its impossible.
YES loans can facilitate students education in this dynamic society but in a country like Zambia, the same revolving fund, you need a proper monitoring system that the money returned does not go in someone pocket.
I know for sure that politicians have their kids out of zambia, worse still even those bursaries offered on bilateral agreements, you find that its only ministers kids who are dubiously selected…
@General Tzu-Sun
Brilliant observation right there. These PF stooges are extremely selfish. They are not even ashamed to have their children on government bursaries and yet they get too much money by Zambian standards. And these f00ls have unlimited access to non repayable government loans to do what ever they want.
Banya nabapingila. Bazachiona………….
MMDCHief,
Spot on..and welcome back !!
Here is an idea. Since PF is very corrupt and has taken this art a notch up I would suggest that the so called RDA at statehouse. When a Chinese supplier is supposed to corrupt Statehouse they should, in addition, sponsor say 50 students at UNZA. In no time every student at UNZA would receive their sponsorship. Just thinking outside the box ka… this is Zambia…wabula maanu chakulwa
That is the way to go mr minister and please please extend that to grade 1’s. This is what we call equal rights .at the moment it’s only the rich who benefit from bursaries .
This is why my blood boils every time I see taxpayers funds being misused by this reckless gov’t on all those “small” things like constructing pointless football stadia, Sata’s medical trips, his useless brigade of deputy ministers, useless district commissioners in the name of job creation, paying a global consultant to sort out the street vending issue, the increase of MPs allowances….. when you added all this it boils down to this.
I feel bad that she took her own life. Life is more valuable than bursary or any other thing. Life is not all about school. Life is about what God says. God be with Zambia.
only your comment has made sense so far. I’m a boiler maker who spent 3 years only with minimal fees en here I’m an employer. after spending many years @ University depending on government you again start depending on government for employment.
Just because PF’s president is old with outdated mentality, they want the status-core to continue with our children. They only know development of a road not of the brains – ‘Cry My Beloved Country!’ This government has spent more on their fake democracy of bye election not realizing that education must be a priority.
MMD AND UPND BOTH sucks and i wish chipimo was more organised than He is. PF are too iritating, its like their old aged minstrs cant even reason wen answering, IS IMPOSIBLE AN ANSWER…. Sure?!!
PF government has lots of learning lessons because education is not only pronouncements of opening up so many universities when existing ones can hardly be effectively managed. The truth is that as some people have suggested this government does not plan let alone budget for the unforeseeables. By elections cost huge sums of money for Sata to have majority in parliament an issue that has eluded him. Its like hitting against sharp pricks that are now hurting him in his undeclared health status.
For over 20 years this has been a problem. Today the self righteous like Wanzelu can come on this blog and blame the PF government. Have you no shame in pretending that these are new problems just because you do not like the party in power? How many of us on this blog benefited from this scheme and have never paid a single Ngwee back? Sorry but University education can’t just be a bottomless pit with no returns for the country.
@chekov
Never in the history of Zambia has there been a death of student because the government has refused to sponsor him or her. In the past the system was straight forward. The university would inform students well in advance as to the requirements for them to apply for bursaries.
UNZA used to set a maximum number of points each student should have in order to be considered for government bursary for each course.Then those who can’t meet that requirement, would be informed that they can be accepted as long as they sponsor them selves. That was a fair way under MMD.
When PF came to power they embarked on a populist move and changed everything.They even lied that all students accepted at UNZA would be sponsored by government.
PF promises too much and deliver completely…
Sorry bwana you are not being truthful. For once stop fibbing!
@ Chekov
Instead of giving unvaranted atribute to Wanzelu, try to understand what he is saying.
On the other hand, it may be that understanding finer points of Wanzely contribution will lead to accepting that PF has FAILED on moral and intelectual grounds to represent the People.
What is the point in building “one university per province” when at present only PF associates get access?
Lastly, education is a future of the Country, Permanent Failures are history.
While I agree with cutting unnecessary costs like by elections and fruitless trips, the youngsters are extremely lazy. Even in Kaunda days where education was free kwaleba ukubomba some jobs like making hangers, pegs etc for sell to help parents in raising at least money for groceries, abanomba even wae sure ! They are sooo lazy, even finding themselves pa UNZA is not by hard working but through leakages, elo tuleonaula tax money awee, surely not mine Kano if icing by default.
Where do u live? Have you seen how clogged the streets of Lusaka are with people trying to etch out a living? How many of those are students/potential students?
The University of Zambia student population is around 10,000 (primary school intake in a normal country) out of a population of upwards of 14 million, what does that say about leaders, I mean planners?
@Wantanshi
There is absolutely no planning under PF at all. Ni chipantepante chabe my bro.
Dr Phiri should be fired for sleeping on duty. Imagine, even when questions were being asked, he was no where to be seen. Instead the matter was being addressed by naive and pompous Kambwili of all people in PF.
How much fuel money is spent on Ministers , DC’s and PS
….as the father, u recklessly spend money on beer and women, when a daughter brings an acceptance letter to college with the requirements then u start complaining that its too much….
Next time you think of installing surveilance equipment worth $200m think of how many university students you could educate. Next time you give yourselves gratuities worth $40m think of how many orphans you could support. Next time you spend $5m of a by-election think of how many teachers you could motivate with that money. Next time you take the trip to mecca work a million dollars think of how many panados you can by from that. Atweba tunaku jaya banzolo..ku emonena mwisho
if my mbuyas have joined the lying and corrupt party, all l can say is that our country is on death row….
If they have put that 600M they are withholding from mines, into high interest accounts they’d be the 154M required ! ….no?! Just checking.
Why offer places at all above the amount of grants they had in the kitty? The university should explain what happened. Someone should be sacked, chancellor or on finance side.
As for the girl, God Bless her and her family and May peace and love at this time be granted them. I think the family should be compensated for the loss of her life, a reasonable amount. There could be a legal in there, since she was offered a place and having her hopes raised, dashed callously.
PF have been in power 3 years only, the bursary system was not their fault, however having built unis they should overhaul current system before elections, as a task.
Clearly this was the universities fault for offering all those places without a thought to the Bursaries system. There were clear indications of this type of problems. Starting with students complaining about unsuitable accommodation.
I wish people on this blog would stop being so anti-Zambian. After all. Even Western countries have these funding problems and need to overhaul as population grows.
Example UK, that changed its funding system and raised fees. There were a lot of growing pains! Many students did not get funding on time during that first year of change. I got mine at the end of the academic year! It was tough, dragged out of student halls to rent arrears court. It has been a mean time, but I kept going. We need our students to toughen up.
@ Patriot Abroad, I see the start and end of your blog seems to be in contradiction. That said, it is not the design of a university to base its admission system on the bursary system; the design is to base its admission on available talent pool in keeping with the ethos. Additionally, the University of Zambia does not work in isolation; like the country, it is a signatory to a lot of conventions, accreditation and associations that call for certain minimum standards to be adhered to if their graduates are to be competitive or recognizable. Having said that, your experience is a sensible narrative to share with the Zambian scenario. I personally do not believe someone’s emotive actions should be reflective of a university system’s triumphs or failures without due facts on the ground.
These jackals have money for by ”erections” but no money for education!Why is Fidel Castro and his free education system when you need him!!
Just ban all bye-elections and give the money to students as a development investment.
Zambia does not belong to politicians – as such, we must all take responsibility for developing it.
While it is not possible for the government to sponsor all students, they can devise a mechanism where a percentage of the tuition is paid to all students, for example, rather than paying 100% for some and 0% for others. Further, losing those ancient libraries and replacing them with ebooks and subsequently issuing tablets (zmk 500 to zmw 1,000) to each student would keep costs low.
Lastly, let us all accept that Zambians are generally lazy. It is very rare to find a university/college student bagging groceries or serving food when they are out of class. The extra income can be used to meet some of these costs.
Rather than work, we’d rather wait for handouts…
Student loans the qualified students and scholarships for the cream of the cream, i.e., exceptionally talented kids go hand in hand. At the same time, parents can start planning for the education of the children. The situation today is different from the situation at independence time in 1964.
In Zambia we are very good at criticizing especially if the Party in office is not our party. We are also blame. Take a person whose monthly take home pay is K25,000 and bribes a Social Welfare Department official so that his child can be recommended for a bursary. Meanwhile a house servants passes very well but is not able to get sponsorship. Who is to blame? Ourselves. Efforts must be made to establish which students genuinely need sponsorship. The student population has grown so much while resources have not done so. You talk of by elections without analyzing the cause. Fingers are pointed at PF forgetting that MMD/PF expelled their MPs. You accuse PF/GRZ of being Bemba but when one from your are is appointed you expel them from your party. What do you rally want? Solutions please
Mr Phiri a Minister of Education in Zambia, have you heard of a word called PLANNING? You are reacting now, didn`t you know that the students will need funding when Uni opens? Chimbwi No Plan is real in PF? I salute HH.
DR Phiri waba Icikala mwitole! U have cash for bloated government, cash for by elections, cash for trips abroad by these I’d.iots and no money for poor students! Waba amaso mu mbuti!
Stop being an 1diot Phiri. The govt. had no problem raising money for your mid-term gratuity, which you don’t even deserve.
Find the money and pay for our future leaders’ education!
Bwana Phiri,
if you are Zambian you went through a subsidized Zambian education paid for by the tax payers money. We know that even if you were a Malawian you would have ordinarily benefited from such. Now that you are “Educated”you have the audacity to say that the K 154 million Kwacha to subsidize the need you say it is not possible. You must be serious. You PF chaps you should know that the development of a nation is not just roads and new infrastructure. You are busy building new Universities are you going to Engage Guy Scott to teach there. Please be reasonable and do the right thing and find cash to fund those need Zambians. If it was a bye Election you would have been flashing billions is that not stupidity?
Just take lessons from America. Anyone who wants to go to school among citizens can go to school. There are Federal student loans, student work programs, private scholarships to honour someone.
Kambwili, is such a stupid person, to say, it’s not the Government programme to support the students, but their parents. Ala alitumpa, he is such a pompas person
He should go also, ichimutwe !!!
Look at the entrouges, delegates, coming to the meeting, with a lot of money, why not pay the students who cannot afford.period.