The Copperbelt University in Kitwe will not open for classes next week following damage caused to parts of the institution by a hailstorm.
Heavy rains last Friday damaged some female hostels and the newly built school of business.
Copperbelt Students Union- COBUSU President Thomson Luzendi confirmed this to ZNBC news.
The country’s second highest institution of learning was scheduled for opening next week.
Mr Luzendi said the decision not to open the institution was arrived at following a meeting this morning.
The COBUSU leader said the development has nothing to do with the recent hike in tuition fees by CBU management.
He also says the bad sanitary conditions at the university had also necessitated the closure.
[ZNBC]
same old same old
Ati CBU!!! This calls for a full investigation to determine whether it was a fault of a consulting structural engineer or the contractor!!!
But it will be difficult for the structural engineer to escape this one as he/she will be questioned around surpervision if its the fault of the contractor!!!! Naikosa boss
And serious/honestly speaking Zambian Engineers are not exposed!!! How many skyscraper of major infrastructure have been built in Zambian for the past 20years????? Experience for engineers?????? But knowing Zambians, they will never accept this fact and will continue burying their heads/ass in the sand!!!!
Sad news.
Too bad for the Chinese contractor. Is it the reason the Union has been calling for Sata to set up a commission of inquiry to probe out-going vice chancellor?
@3, MALEMA
It was a CHINESE Contractors. It is the same Chinese contractors who have built massive skyscrapers in Beijing, Shanghai.
redo the whole thing and put up good facilities. PF stop worsting money on commissions of inquiries.Â
Malema in yo points two and three, Walasa, kalilepuka pa Zed. U ll see, no one is gonna take responsibility of this failure.And I hear the consultans were the CBU lecturers. No malice meant but a good number of those guys do not have practicle experience which counts for far more then ukumema ama issues ya mu ma books. Its sad!
too bad boys and girls
#5 Mossad, For your information, in construction, there is a consulting team (designers, cost controllers, and managers) and contractor on the other hand. The contractor constructs according to the drawings and specifications provided by the designers, and designer need to supervise the contractor to ensure that the works are according to the design. Hence the following scenarios could have happened. – The design was wrong hence failure of the roof, – or the contractor did not follow the designs (shortcuts)
Even if the chinese contractor is exposed, he can use shortcuts by not following the engineers designs.
#9: Malema, you are over analysing the issue. Guess what, its just “tie wire” that the chinese contractor may have forgotten. He may have out it at the last course as opposed to minimum 3 courses below the war plate. These things happen; but that does not mean that all the people that worked on the job are incompetent. Many are times when industrial practitioners have claimed that lecturers or anyone to teaches knows but only theory; thats sad and an insult to the people that have developed many careers over the years. But you are free with your opinion. For me, the issue is poor risk analysis of the actual developed project; they definately did not test for wind. The issue can be solved in 2 weeks max. Buy timber today, tie it properly and cover using IT4; simple.
and what about da FEES? needs reduction
3 courses below “Wall plate”; sorry
thats y never applied on dis fake university and u tuma student dont b lazy jus go and learn ata ,if u need better infrastructures y dont u apply aboard?l
foolish boy
#7: people can take responsibiltity if its within the “defect liability period”; unfortunately, its CBU’s baby to nurse. When you check the specifications you will definately find that such a spec was issued. But the actual commissioning processes in Zambia are too weak; hence when there is an uncertain condition such as change of weather, the weaknesses are exposed. I would be more worried if the structure collapsed. Then again, who measured the wind loads on the day? how do we prove that the wind loads were within the design limit for the roof? Again we cannot over analyse the issue; these things happen; best let them solve it quickly and clean the mess.
#10 Kibinda Waba Kabw, you have just agreed with me when you say “He may have out it at the last course as opposed to minimum 3 courses below the war plate. These things happen” meaning no properly supervision from the Structural Engineer!! This things do not happen if there is strict monitoring!!
Unfortunately CBU lecturers have less industrial exposure (no offence)!!
# 14 Kibinda Waba Kabwa , I hope you are not a Structural Engineer otherwise if you are one you must be dull or qualified through Umwembeshi!!!
#15: I agree with you; but tie wire is not a structural engineers issue mate!! Its a worker very low in the ranks. Maybe a carpenter. Its like you take a car for repair, and an operative forgot to put a bolt and tie it properly. Then when you have an accident, then they discover that it was a genuine “human error”. Yes lecturers do have less experience, but what sort of experience do you need to work on Zambian projects where the majority of materials are block and brick? For your own information, nearly all the lecturers I know working in Zambia have very sucessful consultancy businesses and are very competent chaps. But on this job, someone may not have done the basics; but that does not mean they are incompetent bwana.
In risk management, a simple ommission or oversight may have a very low likelihood of happening; but when it happens, it may have a very high impact. This is what has happenend, I presume. I may presume wrong; and if you look at their risk register, there could have been no mention of the tie wire. In Zambia, roofs get blown-off; hence we always learn what to do; and the carpenters know very well. Everyone takes it for granted it has been done because its extremely easy. But when it has not been done, the result is what we are talking about. However, i still cannot, in my own opinion, use it as a measure of incomptence or inexperience of the lecturers at an institution. But its a pity many industrialists have always felt that way about lecturers, and that perception will not go.
#16: Malema; you are free to say your opinion, and its your right, i fully support you. concerning umwembeshi, sorry mate. I work on projects far much advanced than brick and blocks. I am no structural engineer. Umwembeshi works too; if it helped me why not!! But never mind my qualifications and what I do; its irrelevant at the moment. but just know that am one of those people Zambia never appreciates, and will never appreciate hence the mess the country has been in for the last 20 years. So it does not bother me at all sir.
#19 Kibinda Waba Kabwa , thank you, then you are not qualified enough to comment on this issue if you are not a Structural Engineer!! You are simplifying the issue hence an insult to the Engineering profession
#20: I guess you do not know thare there are many strands of engineering; as a result am not an insult to engineering sir. But when people are blogging, the first principle is mutual respect. I think you have a problem with that; even if I was to tell you that I am a structural engineer or not, it does not matter because we all have no facts of the case. We are just speculating. You are accusing people of being incompetent which is your right; am also defending the people which is my right. We just need to agree to disagree; yet you have failed to appreciate this fact and keep wanting disrepect my points. Well, bwana as you wish sir. Insult or no insult, am still standing by my comments because i feel like it.
Imwe guys, his issue is a pretty straight forward one. The issue can be pinpointed byt looking into the drawings, specifications and the contract. If you look into the drawings and specifications and discover that the designers cocked up the blame should be laid at their door. If this is not the case then the contractor has to prove that they did everything as speicfied and that these winds were just too strong for the design in which case they can get away with force majure (an act of God). Otherwise if some operative deliberately or just by genuine mistake didnt do what they were supposed to do the cntractor has tyo take the rap. Incomptence or human error isnt enough for an excuse. if someone died would you go and use ‘human erroe’ as a defence in court?
ONCE I HAD A HOLIDAY IN ZAMBIA WHEN THE CHINESE WERE CONSTRUCING MANSA INN (or is it a hotel or something). THE MAIN CONFERENCE BUILDING HAD A SERIOUS CRACK FROM THE WALLS RIGHT DOWN TO THE CONCRETE SLAB,WHICH NEVER ESCAPE ONE’S EYE. I WAS CONCERNED AND I ASKED IF THE GOVT STRUCTURAL INSPECTOR HADN’T NOTICED THIS CRACK. MY UNCLE JUST LAUGHED AND SAID EVEN IF HE HAS THERE’S NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT IT. IN SHORT THAT WAS HOW DEEP CORRUPTION WENT IN RB’s GOVT.
this is what u jus think of tuition fees ..u lazy students nstead of studying,wen hard working pipo are out there busy doing work 4 nuthin,u jus siting n eating mango on top of those stupid broken infrastructure den u claim we nid an increment…foolish
#20. ONE DOES NOT NEED TO BE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TO KNOW HOW POOR ZAMBIAN ENGINEERS ARE. IN FACT 99% OF THEM ARE JUST I.D.I.O.T.S. IT WILL JUST TAKE YOU A TRIP TO NEIGHBOURING BOTSWANA TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE. ONE DOESN’T NEED TO GO TO CHINA, EUROPEJAPAN OR US OF A TO WONDER WHAT KIND OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS WE HAVE IN ZAMBIA. I FOR ONE DO NOT KNOW IN WHICH CENTURY THEY ARE LIVING.
I was in my final year when the Chinese constructed those buildings it is clearly poor workmanship the buildings were craking before being finished we should be serious if we want this country to develop.
You are all talking based on assumptions, possible causes and your previous experiences. The way to go is to find out the main causes of failure of the roof structure especially that the new centre for life long building never gave in to the severe wind loads. Just call for an investigation into what may have gone wrong before jumping to conclusions. Be professional in the way you handle issues. Dont jump to conclusions and deliver judgement based on assumptions. The designer in the two buidlings is the same (name with held). This means there could be one common problem. You are all thiking too much but have you thought of the roof overhang length? The larger the area of the overhang the more vulnerable the roof is to wind loadings. there may be other issues. Wait for the results if any
Really CBU again same old same old…do we still only have one University On the CB how many are there right now in Zambia?? I ask coz well in Nairobi alone there are quite a number of private and government run Universities.and in zed we still having to cramp our future development in poorly run institutions like CBU..in 2012..oh my Goodness I wonder what is going through KK’s mind ala twali shalila….
Consultants and contractors  were CBU lecturers from the School of the Built Environment. Go’ngas!
I am sure they gave you C+ aai? Lol
Health And Safety in Zambia is a serious matter to be concerned about.
I worked in government as an Engineer and to squarely lay blame on Zambian Engineer is not right. The blame should be placed on corrupt politicians, there are many instances when contracts are given to brief case Contractors. These small firms are owned by politicians, & when govt inspectors or consultants recommend that the contractor has done shoddy work, action is never taken. The contractor will even tell you in your face that you are just wasting time because he’s got backing from politicians. Even Chinese contractor will tell you that they paid a lot to win the contract. Politicians will always prevail. A case in point is Kafue Steel plant, the ECZ Environmental Impact Assessment came out strongly against the plant, but the MMD through LPM, decided otherwise. Can u blame ECZ?
Hey Pple. Let’s face it!
Where on this planet and in this era would one do a skyscraper and put umutenge pamulu. All nonsense, it,s GIGO. And now you start looking up to the heavens. I have seen this even with the new UNZA hostels. Civil and construction, my foot!!!!!!!!!!!!
Somebody educate me, umutenge sure.!!!
Yes you can; even the sky scrapers you see have a roof. They may be called flat roofs and the angle is 7.5degrees or less; is classified as a flat roof. In fact, evena road has to be made at an angle so that water can be shade off the road.
Same OLD same OLD, useless. This is why I left that Institution?? All universities in Zambia are not up to standards. Normal undergraduate degrees will take you same time as a PHD?? SAD BECOZ WE are never serious. SALE THEM ALL.
A country of  Plenty but in extreme poverty.!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys lets not shoot each other in the backside with this issue. One thing is clear that the winds in Zambia are not as strong as where MUSHOTA lives. I’m 99% certain that this was a case of cutting corners to maximise profits by the contractor. They could have even used Glue instead of tie wires. I work on site and i see this shite everyday. Close supervision and quality control seems to have been missing as well hence the problem. Depending on when the defects liability ended, CBU may not recall the contractor to rectify anything. They will have to fork out some more student fees to repair the damage. Remember this: Every Con-tractor is a CONMAN!!!
You guys can condemn and insult SBE lecturers for incompetency etc and i’m sorry that you feel that way. To me CBU lecturers in the Built Environment have been the best i ever!! Its not fair to blame these guys. SBE lecturers, walk with your heads high and be proud of the noble contribution to educate mankind. Not all will appreciate you and some will attribute their current failures in life to you. For me i say welldone for the education i got free of charge and am now serving the world as a citizen of the universe.
Zambian s are good at talking problems not solutions or courses.
NOMBA NINSHI
Gunner XÂ
Are there any skyscrapers at CBU or UNZA? You call a two or three storied structure a skyscraper? By saying umutenge do u mean a pitched or gable roof?
The same UNZAproduced Engineers we’re are condemning  are making it in other countries like Botswana and SA? We should also note that coming up with a successful Engineering firm is costly, its not like a law firm where you only require to have copies of constitution and an office at Findeco Mezzanine floor. There’re very few Engineering companies owned by Zambian, the majority are owned by Chinese who have financial muscle & have access to Cheap loans. When you go round Lusaka and check most road constructions, the majority are being done by foreigners. Even the designs and consultancy is offered by foreign Engineering firms. So to blame a poor Zambian Engineering in this corrupt society is wrong. Even in Councils, City planners do their work, but politicians always have the last say
Terrible,this will set the students back a great deal. Am pretty sure the buildings were not in a gud state in the first place.
you can not pin a contractor for damage caused by nature. and especially that structures done before independence( zoo) were damaged too
peter, this has nothing to do with RB chikala. even KK knows that the structers at both CBU and UNZA are below par. these institution were not constructed to last for more than 25years in short they were temporal structures. even appearance can tell.
overly critisizing engineers for structural failures based on speculation will not help, just like us engineers overly defending ourselves wont help anyone. what we need is a change of our working culture. accountants and project managers should not just be interested in cost cutting and compromise on quality. in the same vain, as engineers we should learn to exert ourselves even with limited resourses. i personally came up with an innovative idea that saved money and new equipment from being used. the idea impressed everyone and the Asian engineers were even calling from india, asking about its peformance.