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450 pupils sharing 15 desks at Chibwe Basic School in Choma

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Desk Sharing by two pupils
Desk Sharing by two pupils

SOUTHERN Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe has castigated school authorities of Chibwe Basic School in Mapanza, Choma for allowing the 450 pupils to share 15 desks.

Mr Munkombwe has also ordered the District Commissioner Liven Apuleni to probe the matter and provide a report in a week’s time.

A visibly upset Mr Munkombwe gave the directive on Friday when he officiated at the handover ceremony of two boreholes at Chibwe and Katowa basic schools.

The boreholes have been donated by the Anglican Church in Zambia and the Garber Leadership United Methodist Church in New Bern, North Carolina in the United States of America.

Mr Munkombwe wondered why the school authorities have been quiet about the plight of the children and only brought this matter up during the handover ceremony of the boreholes.

He was reacting to a plea by Chibwe Basic School deputy head teacher, Musa Simaimbula, to well wishers and Government for desks.

Mr Simaimbula said his school was in dire need of desks and houses for teachers.
The school, which has 13 teachers, has only five houses.

Chief Mapanza, too, wondered why the school authorities did not inform him about the matter for him to raise it with the relevant authorities.

Mr Munkombwe said that if the head teacher was unable to handle the matter, she should leave the running of the school to those capable of doing so.

“If the head teacher is not worth leading this school, why should such a person be here? There is serious weakness in leadership in this school and as minister in charge of the province, I do not want to be associated with failure because I have never been a failure in my life,” Mr Munkombwe said.[quote]

“There is something sinister here and I want to have a detailed report on the matter soon,” he said.

Mr Munkombwe commended Anglican Church in Zambia bishop, David Njovu, for attracting the attention of his American friends from Zoe Ministries who have responded favourably to help alleviate the suffering of the people.

Bishop Njovu said the two boreholes cost US$10,000. He commended Zoe Ministries for raising the money.

Zoe Ministries representative and delegation leader, Robert Littleton, said he hoped that through the fellowship, people would taste the living water that Jesus Christ talked about in the Bible.

{Zambia Daily Mail]

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editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

72 COMMENTS

  3. Ala Mr Munkombwe!!! you are just ashemed coz its not only Chibwe school in that situation. Almost all rural schools do not have desks. This is what we have been telling you guys that you lack priorties. You are wasting money on useless things like the mobile hospitals etc instead of buying desks for the rural schools. What I know is that the ministry of education has all information about each school in Zambia. Anual reports are given to the ministry of edcation concerning the needs of each particular school. But you guys since you dont care you sit on those reports. So I propose that you Munkombwe and the minister of education be fired for negligence.

  4. I do not understand why we have to get donations for boreholes. It seems we get donations for anything that has to do with health and education. This is a serious matter.

    What Mr Mukombwe or whoever is in charge of the place where this school is should have done a feasibility study of how much would be needed for boreholes and desks. The next step is to then issue what I call “diaspora development bonds”. These are low interest bonds that can be sold to Zambians in the diaspora who want to see the nation develop. With these bonds, govt would then have the money to put up boreholes and buy desks at the school. Since these bonds would be for development, payments on the bonds and interest would be done over a long period of time.

    This is a better alternative than always begging.

  5. This news also makes me very upset and at the same time ashamed to be a Zambian. I’m sure this is just one example out of many all over the country. Zambians really need to think twice before they vote for failures again in 2011.

  6. Good move Minister Munkombwe for campaigning of the 2011 election in the mighty Southern Province. However “Mr Munkombwe has also ordered the District Commissioner Liven Apuleni to probe the matter and provide a report in a week’s time” is worrying for it shows dictatorial tendencies at Minister level. What more if Mr Munkombwe is to be Zambian President by mistake?

    The ““If the head teacher is not worth leading this school, why should such a person be here? There is serious weakness in leadership in this school and as minister in charge of the province, I do not want to be associated with failure because I have never been a failure in my life,” Mr Munkombwe said.” is a serious lie even without proof. I am a failure too in some points.
    _
    Matthew 6:33

  8. Ba Munkombwe please, obviously that school had followed procedure and reported all that to the highier authorities but nothing has been done yet you want to embarass yourself in front of donors by making such careless statements in public. What is wrong with these MMD people ?Munkombwe zwa zwa zwa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  10. Following “Chief Mapanza, too, wondered why the school authorities did not inform him about the matter for him to raise it with the relevant authorities“, this is serious negligence on the part of my Chief whose chiefdom I belong to. The Chief has clearly failed to lead by example in discharging his duties as the school authorities’ mandate is not to move around informing the Chief on thei teaching activities but for them to teach the school children while it is the responsibility of the Chief to move around his chiefdom to see what is needed and consult with parents od children as to whether they are happy with the environement their children are learning in.
    I hope this irresponsible behaviour of blaming others will not re-surface again in future.
    _
    Matthew 6:33

  11. #3 & #8 I totally agree with you, Munkombwe is talking absolute nonsesnse!! My heart feels for those poor pupils, when will these guys ever get their act together?? God help us.

  12. This is pathetic. Some people are busy stealing billions of kwacha and living lavishly why the future leaders are not taken care of. Who allows such standards? Stop abusing Zambians by subjecting them to conditions that are not necessary, surely can you guys fail to supply desks? What is the carpentry industry doing in Zambia? Or are you still waiting for donors. Shame on the leadership of Zambia, ireally don’t care who did it, too much finger pointing. You all have failed because no one monitors the syustem until there is a problem. Minister of Education is the biggest culprit, he needs to exculpate this. Mwanyanya.. 2011 you are all out!! Be responsible

  14. Coming back to the teachers and headteacher issues, it is clear that they have been doing their part of reporting about their bad working environment and conditions of services some of which culminated in the recent strike action which President RB Banda and his MMD GRZ Administration failed lamentably to solve in a short time that could have saved us Zambians across the whole world of embarrassment.

    I thus urge Minister Munkombwe to take extra care in his future talk. This is in an effort to build his personal image and the MMD GRZ’s terrible record.

    At this juncture, I salute former PF MP for Kasama Central for emulating former Defence Minister Mpombo though he has gone further by resigning from Parliament. Zambia’s democracy is slowly making progress.
    _
    Matthew 6:33

  16. Munkombwe has either got cancer of the brain, not sure which part or has verbal diarrhea. The man is another Mulongoti and Tetamalilo. There are jokes of leaders.

  17. God help us!!iwe Mukombwe you know most of the things that happen in your province.An education issue is a sensitive one for you to say you have no knowledge of what is going on at this school.Naiwe chief Mapanza don’t lie that you know nothing.Mwaona ma govt officials yabwela uko mwamusambilamo munzanu headmaster.go to h………

  19. That’s the spirit Dr. Chishimba. How I wish Tetamashimba, Mulongoti and this Munkombwe can follow suit on these leaving on moral grounds and also in national interest.

  20. As for “Mr Munkombwe said that if the head teacher was unable to handle the matter, she should leave the running of the school to those capable of doing so“, following my earlier contributions I think the it is Minister Munkombwe who needs to leave the running of the Sourthern Province just like former Defence Minister George Mpombo left that ministry including for PF MP S. Chishimba who has resigned from the Zambian Parliament and PF political party.

    Such a move would inspire confidence in me as to the honesty of Minister Munkombwe who is a recycled politician that must leave space for young Zambians to take up leadership roles.

    Zambia may only start making +ve development when very old politicians shall leave the running of the country to you ones.
    _
    Matt 6:33

  22. mukombwe is just playing dirty politics……he knows the truth….thay dont care much coz their children go to study at expensive schools or abroad using the poor taxpayers’ monies…..god help us….

  23. AS LONG AS WE ZAMBIAN ALLOW THE RECYCLED MATERIAL TYPE OF LEADERSHIP,THEY WILL CONTINUE TO EMBARRASS US CAUSE THEY ARE THERE TO MAKE A LIVING AND NOT TO SAVE THE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL ALWAYS BE CAUGHT AN AWARE,

  24. Didn’t he pass through that School during Presidential campaigns. This is stupidity of the worst order. School inspectors are denied funding and there are no inspections so who do they expect to highlight such cases? Headteachers are always threatened and MPs are useless so what do you expect. Fire Munkombwe and Rb.

  26. Stop the tongue lashing. RB and his admin are a caring government. Education is not as important to Zambians as is health. Those who value education take their children to private schools. Have you forgotten so soon that they have bought hearses, are constructing a Mourners’ shelter and will soon bring in Mobile hospitals? They have their priorities “very right”

    What with the much talked about population control?

    Some of the people have to die and enjoy rides on the hearses so as to reduce numbers of those who would need to sit on desks and get an education. That way, there would be no possibility for two children to share one desk, because there will be fewer pupils needing the desks available in rural schools

  27. Munkombwe suffers from political and developmental meningitis.How can he blame the school authorities when the MOE has school inspectors.Blame ypur govt for not delivering instaed of playin the blame game.When are you going to learn to to accept responsiblity?

  28. Munombwe sold a hotel in Choma for failing to run it and now says he has not been a failure. Actually he sold the hotel. he had actually started selling some portions of his farm in Choma before being picked as deputy minister. He is not a sincere old man. Why does it require a deputy Minister to receive a bore all the from Livingstone to mapanza? he is just interested in getting allowances. MMD must go. yesterday Rupiah Banda’s wife was talking about shortage of health personel and medicines and now Munkombwe wants to pretend that he did not know that there are no desks in schools. They are liars of worst order

  29. All the money has been Kapoko’d, so I do not know what Old Man Munkombwe is talking about. Some of it could even be lying in his bank accounts.

  30. Mr Munkombwe stop acting as if that is the only school that is in a deplorable state. All Government schools in Zed are an eyesore and you people don’t care because your children are obviously enrolled in private schools. Nobody cares about the livelihood of these poor kids. My heart bleeds when I see kids hurdled on a desk like pigs. One can only admire the enthusiasm!

  31. We need help here in Cuba. We students have been paid for three months. The guys by the embassy in Canada are holding our BCs. Please help us otherwise we will suffer though we are already suffering.

  33. Oh i thought desk sharing was the norm in Zambian government schools, where has Munkombwe been.Its hard to think when education was ever governments priority.

  34. #31 Cuba you students are always complaining of allowances Why don’t you ask the govt to deposit money directly into your bank accounts instead of passing them on to Embassies.What is Nevers Mumba saying about your allowances? Give the pastor a call.

  35. Along has Munkombwe been in politics or government, on and off, for him not to appreciate the trouble our Zambian schools are in?? I am sure tomorrow he will be surprised about the lack of Text books and Lab equipment in schools—wow!!! These problems have been there since the seventies, got worse in the eighties and now have reached the climax with these buffoons in charge—-I graduated high school in the eighties and these problems were there even then, and this guy is surprised about it?!!!! Really, what is surprising is not the lack of desks in schools, but the fact that this so called minister is actually SURPRISED about it. Where has he been??!! Bwana Minister, please don’t play “Ostrich” with the future of Zambia (Imiti iyikula…….)

  36. The first question to ask is whether needs assessment was properly conducted. If it is a katemba school (community school started by fwebene) and then wanting to formaliz it like money laundring. Then the community should be answerable for allowing the situation. If the school was initiated by the Ministry of Educ. Why didnt they include desks? Then somebody is definitly answerable. Not the Head Teacher. Mokombwe was just politiking. The Chief simply wanted to say something I presume.

  37. #31(Cuba)
    If possible borrow some money and get yourself in Canada,they will reimburse once you present the ticket.its the BC’s contractual obligation to pay students on time as stated in the agreement.These Embassy official have a tendency of putting these monies in the banks so that they make interest and later after ripping profits at your expense,thats when they give it to students.

  39. People have come to expect no action from MMD that is why they do not even bother to report poor schools. Ba Munkombwe you know where the money is going. With reports that George Mpombo run up a K100 million ($19,000) mobile phone roaming bill and charged it to the ministry of defence account, no wonder infrastructure is crumbling. That is why school officials do not even bother to report things. They know that schools are not a priority.

  40. #26 Kwathu.. no offence intended but your comment is just too lop-sided to be left standing.
    “RB and his admin are a caring government.” Who do they care for apart for themselves and maybe a small group of bootlicking beneficiaries and yes-men? I strongly suspect you belong to this group, unless you have deliberately chosen to blurr your sight for reality, the same way that your gravatar is blurred.

  42. This is not new in Zambia. What the Head Master was saying is right as he was appealing to the Minister to do something through his office. The Chief should not look surprised because indeed this was good for his subjects to raise it up. Pretence will not help us in any way. What we need is the truth which always comes at a cost because it pains.

  44. #40(Nine Chale)
    I hope mulifye mu mood iyisuma lelo.I think Kwathu’s statement is ironical and means the oppsite.Thats my view of the statement.

  48. #47shimaster2 .

    That will be great.Its more blessed to give than to receive,and the Lord blesses a ceerful giver.

  49. #40 Nine Chale

    Thanks for missing my point. Regarding my blurred gravatar, some time ago, I asked my Mbuya Nkisu to help with a “Made in China” camera and I’m sure he should working on it. Soon I’ll also have akampopo ka gravatar.

    Have a nice day full of amapalo

  50. But Zona ba chief mapaza ba musambilamo kafundisha mukalamba (Headmaster) when i am sure he was fully aware of the situation becoz the school is probably itapulo ishili ten to the school

  51. Ladies and gentlemen do not be led astray by Mr Munkombwe’s remarks. Last week we saw a picture of a Mazabuka teacher housed in a classroom. Mr Munkombwe is just showing off that he is working while keeping a blind eye over problems in many school where his children and grand children… He must retire too many wives and grand children.

  52. THIS IS A VERY BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR ZAMBIAN CARPENTERS WHO ARE NOT WORKING: The goverment can give a business loan for things like this to help Zambians start their own businesses. Start a company that builds desks for schools in Zed. Desks are very easy to make they are not complicated. Zambia does not need a donation for desks. The Zambian carpenters surely can handle this one. This will stimulate the economy and employment to the locals. Zambians surely we can at least build a desk. I have seen complicated painting, wire cars a desk is very easy to make.

  53. I do remember at my school we had some guys doing woodwork,they used to repair and make desks as part of lessons,this is something these secondary schools can do even now to help such poor schools without desks.All the govt would spend is wood for lessons

  54. Brilliant solution #53 . You have actually resolved the puzzle. Practical and basic strategies. Your solution will start an industry of carpenters VISION you input a work ethic in the students making desks during the lessons, LONG TERM OBJECTIVE some of these students can learn how to make furniture which we can export to neighbouring countries. We have the best timber in Africa all we need is to educate the younger generation so that they see the potential. Jesus was a carpenter:) he must have chosen that trade for a reason. Zambia needs to stop the dependency theory and start believing in their ability to make change

  55. MAESTRO MUMUCINCHA,
    Jump on this opportunity and donate to the school.it is in your home area.inspire those kids in the so that they can know that from being a villager you come become and accomplished physicit like maestro he he he.a ka £2000 can not be a drain on you not so?

  56. And the tuma two pupils look so smart like they are not in the village.they look better than some of the kid from chibolya or kanyama and other kombons.elyo akali ku right kali na potential utumolu.proper village chicken.

  57. Those teachers did not eat the desks, so great great grand father Munkombwe JUST BUY THE DESKS AND BUILD HOUSES.

  58. Carpenters are there and I am sure they can make the desks, but it may take years before they are paid for the same desks they supply by the Govt

  59. based on picture. 1 desk sits atleast one pupil. to get my maths right thats about roughly 30 pupils on one desk… somebody please donate something to that schoool, i know people who went to that school do something about or will start listing your names…..o what the heck !

    1. RB 2. Teta 3. Mulo. 4 Mabe…

  60. it a shame that up untill now GRZ is still dealing with such issues. A permanet solution to this is not impossible if only somebody looked at it. One wonders what these people do in office.

  61. When I was growing up, 3 of us shared a desk. It was always 2 boys and 1 girl in between. I hated that. Some classes were under a Mungongo tree sitting on the sand. But it did not get into my way. I still got to the place I wanted to go and now that earlier disadvantage means nothing.

  62. 55 AKAPONDO greetings and good on your “inspire those kids in the so that they can know that from being a villager you come become and accomplished physici[s]t like maestro he he he” for this is better than trying hard to pull me down.

    I will thus do my best for those village living Zambians who are no different from you and me.

    Have a blessed day and take careful care.
    _
    Psalm 119 + KJV Bible:
    97 O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
    98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
    99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
    100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.

  63. Munkomwe should have sked for number of desks the school needs not to bark at the helpless headteacher.This Nyamasoya Govt has got alot of resources but mike & Teta are not doing their homework.If anything Munkombwe must talk to Dora end the desks issues in all govt schools. Old Man Retire please!

  64. Lack of Desks, but minsters wives are in 5 star hotels, when they come Jo-berg on a shopping trips. Like RB was saying ” Tongas are peaceful and Hardworking ” in other words “Dull”. As Long as certain groups and tribes are not educated, you can rule these dummies. Give me a party thats major aim to educate Zambian People (the answer is non).

  65. I’m surprised they are surprised. If I’m not mistaken, chief Mapanza is Mr. Katowa former ambassador & MCC member under UNIP hence Munkombwe’s buddy. I passed thru that chiefdom recently. I saw a basic school at Mang’unza in such a deplorable state you could shed a tear. St. Marks secondary school in the same area was also recently in the news for having no toilets, etc.

  66. I’m surprised they are surprised. If I’m not mistaken, chief Mapanza is Mr. Katowa, former ambassador & MCC under UNIP hence Munkombwe’s buddy. I recently passed thru that chiefdom. At another basic school called Mang’unza the situation is so pathetic you’d shed a tear. Even St. Marks secondar school in the same area was recently in the news for having no touilets, etc….and they are surprised. Where do they live?

  67. What do you expect to see in a country where a few civil servants can steal K27 billion under the noses of the police, the op, the dec, the acc, etc. Zambia is a big mess. Even neighbouring countries that have just come out of a war situation have overtaken Zambia. Zambians adore jokers for rulers and the country is now a big joke in the region.

  68. Munkombwe: “I have never been a failure in my life” All politicians use this line. Futsek! You are all failures! Same with Mundiya Sikatana, gelout!

  70. Munkonbwe iwe, just provide those poor kids with desks. not kula bwata fye. visibly annoyed my spine. You should be ashamed of yourself, how can a whole minister of a provice not know how dilapitated schools in his province are?? you are even too old for that ministerial position step down & let a vibrant youngman correct your failures.

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