MINISTER of Education, Science and Vocational Training John Phiri has assured University of Zambia (UNZA) students that their bursary upkeep allowances will be paid on Tuesday.
Speaking to UNZA students, who had marched to the bursaries committee to protest the delayed payment of bursaries yesterday, Dr Phiri said Government has set aside K16 billion for the semester ending on October 31, 2012 to pay the students.
He said it is unfortunate that the bursaries committee has been inefficient in handling bursaries and Government will work towards reforming the awarding of bursaries, which has been discriminatory.
“We have not done the best we could do in this endeavour. It pains me that the university management has not been able to communicate effectively the information coming from the bursaries committee and the committee has not communicated,” Dr Phiri said.
Dr Phiri urged students to remain calm and exercise patience and assured them that government would pay what is due.
And Dr Phiri has reiterated and assured UNZA students that the academic calendar at the country’s highest learning institution will run up to October 31, 2012 as earlier scheduled.
He said this is contrary to fears by students that the institution would close prematurely to pave way for the rehabilitation of hostels for the hosting of the Zone Six Under-20 youth games.
“Rehabilitation works at UNZA will be done in two phases, starting with external works. This is to avoid disrupting the academic life of the institution,” Dr Phiri said.
The students had earlier peacefully convened at the bursaries committee offices, where they locked the gate and turned away police, who arrived in full riot gear.
The slogan-chanting students said police presence was not required, because they were only demanding to be addressed by the permanent secretary or minister over the delayed bursary allowance payment.
Permanent secretary Stephen Nkanza had a tough time trying to address the students, who did not want their union officials to hold a closed-door meeting with him.
The students only calmed down after Dr Phiri arrived to address them. Police in full riot gear kept vigil and were observing the situation from outside the premises.
Dr Phiri later ordered that the students be driven back to campus.
Meanwhile, Lusaka police commissioner Solomon Jere said police have released the 27 UNZA students who were earlier arrested for riotous behaviour.
Dr Jere said the UNZA Students’ Union yesterday negotiated with the police to drop the charges against 23 male and four female students who were arrested on Thursday.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Imwe ba mambala why do you delay paying the student their allowances ??
bafikamba you have failed too soon.
You had to wait till they riot? Where are you priorities if all the time you want to act when the situ turns into a crisis. I thot this culture was in the past, ie FTj time when we even became addicted to viva.
Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education, why should you always have to wait until a strike takes place! Is it always a routine way of handling issues in the ministry? Wake up concerned offices and do the right thing at the right time. Never lock the door when the horse has been stolen!
Your inefficiency is tarnishing the image of the students. Do you always have to wait for them to riot before you can solve their problems? Also try to tame the lumpen Chishimba Kambwili who is not being helpful but just provoking the students with his careless utterances.
Mushota I wrote to you yesterday asking for your hand in marriage. I like your comments and you are my idol. Never mind about Dirty Zambia. I am also in the Daispora with no intention of going back to a place full of flies
# 1 PF (police force)
That’s party of the Zambian and African culture. It is after confrotation that you can get what you want. Look at what happened to SA miners and the Sinazongwe miners against their managers.. Hopeful they will increase the salaries after the killings :)
I would like to find out if UNZA has publicized the student who have been selected to be fresher,if possible please send them via my email.