Forum for Democracy and Development FDD president Edith Nawakwi has described as unfortunate the extreme position taken by Sports Minister on the issue of student sponsorship.
Speaking interview Ms. Nawakwi noted that the issue of education is an emergency and should be treated with the agency it deserves and that it was unfortunate for people in government like Mr. Kambwili to be saying that it is not government’s job to educate children in the country.
Ms. Nawakwi wondered who should educate the children if government did not do so as there is no one else who will educate the children apart from the government itself.
She further condemned the ill timing of Mr. Kambwili’s statement which she noted that does not give confidence to the young people in the country especially those striving to improve their lives through acquiring a good education.
“It is very unfortunate that we should have some of our colleagues in government like Mr. Kambwili taking an extreme position and if u recall the demise of Musanka Mukwamba and the timing of Mr Kambwili’s statement its exactly the same time.
“There is no one else who is responsible for educating our children apart from the government, yes there are parents who are able to pay for children and they should be identified and asked to foot the bill.”
Ms. Nawakwi accused the bursaries committee of being corrupt saying we have all been faced with corruption of bursaries committee when a child with 11 points is left out while someone with 27 points is give a bursary.
And the opposition leader says people accusing government of corruption are justified in their accusations as government has continued pumping money in building roads as opposed to the social sectors of country because there is no way of siphoning back the money to private pockets.
“This why we are saying this government is corrupt because there is money for roads and I have been reflecting on why we have so much money for roads.
I believe that if you provide scholarships there is no way of siphoning money back to private pockets but if you give contracts to the Chinese the Minister has already said that the Chinese are busy tempting every Minister with parcels with cash and you can’t do that with bursaries committee you may corrupt some with a small amount and you may be given a bursary but the bulk of the money is going into road construction and building of sky scrapers in the middle of nowhere because this an open tap for ministers siphon money through contracts,” Ms. Nawakwi said.
She added: “this not even an allegation Minister Chikwanda has clearly laid everything bear that his ministers are as corrupt as dirty and I think this should stop. I don’t why they are treating people like this, people are hungry, there is no education, no health and transport is expensive this is really hopeless and I feel so saddened with the demise of my daughter here.”
Ms. Nawakwi was among the scores of mourners who attended the burial of Musanka Mukwamba a first year student at the University of Zambia who committed suicide after she was denied a bursary by the bursaries committee.
Mukwamba is said to have taken poison stunning the university community. The issue of bursaries has taken centre stage after only 2, 600 of the 6, 000 admitted in the first year for the 2014/15 academic year were awarded the privilege.
I can not hold tears. This is simply unacceptable. A girl child who laboured to do her best can be let to die in this manner just because she comes from a poor family. Why is there no transparent policy for administering bursaries based on performance as it is in other countries?. The day the authorities decide to fight corruption in the education system is the day they decide to re-start publicizing grade 12 results as well as bursary awards. If this is done, the corruption Ms Nawakwi is talking about will automatically start retracting its ugly head.
Let the issue of student loans be implemented through banks at an agreeable interest rate with govt. Govt must finance part of the deal and the rest be made available by commercial banks.
tuition will be paid directly to learning institutions
The only qualification to access such funds is being accepted in a university or college.
the entire administration process must be decentralized to provinces instead of everything being done in Lusaka.
the issue of inadequate resources should not arise
And even Sata’s wife NEVER attended a funeral of poor girl?
I didn’t hear about that unfortunate suicide or I would have blown a trumpet at the patient’s State House.
The act of suicide must be condemned by all sectors of society.
Government cannot abrogate its responsibility of educating its youth, especially in a poor economy like ours where there are so many indigent families. Zimbabwe as we all know has one of Africa’s highest literacy levels and Mugabe continues to grant scholarships to thousands of school leavers to South African and overseas universities. This is in addition to those on government bursaries within Zim. But why are we the only ones going backwards? How can you see sense in investing in roads and expect to sustain them if you can’t invest in those who should maintain them? With the escalating cost of education most families wont be coping with school fees, especially that almost all of GRZ’s goods & services are rendered by Chinese companies who repatriate a monies to China, leaving us…
I totally condemn the act of comitting suicide just for a busary. It is evil and ungodly. We as a Christian nation should discourage people from comitting suicide. So far I have not seen anyone condemn that act of suicide. We all know there is something wrong with the Busaries committee but suicide should never be the means to pettition for anything. Life is so precius and our dear sister should have just waited upon God. They say Gods time is the best time. I want to discourage our youths not to imitate thayt evil act.
you Elijah and other stupid Fipuba . sory I will call you like that because it is annoying listening to you try to hide behind the bible when you PF cadres ashamed of your mismanagement of the country.Who would want to loose his or her life.Get in the shoes of the deacesed girl and feal the pain she experienced.She had worked hard to get 6 points only to be disappointed twice by this scporousy government.Shame on man Killers and eaters.
@2: Elijah, don’t be so insensitive, callous and daft like Kambwili. How can you honestly post condemnations of a poor desparate sister/girl child who can no longer defend herself. Do you have an idea of what miners/civil servants/working class get for salaries in Zambia and compared this to University tuition/lodging fees bearing in mind that they have other children to support? I am so dissapointed with the PF. I am so heartbroken. Mama Nawakwi please soldier on and GOD BLESS U!
A fraction of the money used to treat just 1 minister abroad, let alone Sata, would have been sufficient to pay for this girl’s bursary. Imwe bantu please have a heart!!!!
The biggest problem for Zambia is that once elected, leaders tend to consider their acquired positions as a source for entitlements rather as responsibilities. Somebody tell me how it is that we have ministers (GRZ officials and even the president) flocking to South Africa, India, Israel, South Korea, UK etc, for treatment. Why can’t they fix UTH??? The same people charged with ensuring that facilities in Zambia work – rush abroad to enjoy the sweat, dedication and intelligence of other leaders!!! F00LS!!!
As for Kambwili – he is heartless but foolsih – He MUST RESIGN!!!
So sad, I wish there was a way I could withdraw my wasted vote right away. Wasted time standing in that queue on that day. Never and never again. I wish I had at least abstained. A guy whose portfolio is not even education is the first one to say government is not responsible for educating people and claims to be looking after the youth. Any way tizaona, inshita Ileisa . Money for roads and bye elections in mbwee. God, what did we do to deserve this
Money for roads and bye elections is there. Kambwili should not even claim he is representing the youth. Which youth? I regret having voted for these guys and I tell myself I should have at least abstained. God, what did we do to deserve this?
I blame it on UNZA Management. How can they give acceptance letters to 6000 students and yet UNZA does not have the capacity to accommodate them? This is just an academic programme to try and discredit some one whom UNZA Management has a bone to chew with.
Because there are more than 6000 intelligent pupils.
6000 intelligent students- UNZA has no capacity for that. Its like you enroll 100 students for Grade 1 class and yet you know that you have only 50 desks and chairs and 1 teacher. This is management failure.
The rooms for 2 students in our time is now occupied by 8 to 10 students and you call that Management intelligence??
mr kambwili this is the man who boasts of being popular in his constitience and at the same time having presidential ambitions gosh how can you mr kambwili say that to the nation and in particular mock the pipo who voted for you
The building of varsities all over Zambia is welcome. If you follow stats, that 6000 that was accepted at fresher is actually the total capacity that UNZA facilities were meant for. Now multiply that by 4, plus 6000 ku mines & 6 000 ku vet at fifth year. Remove the UNZA-tourists, then you have a facility bursting at its seams with “not so quality” education.
If Kambwili, I repeat, if Kambwili became education minister or president, I’m afraid, there will not be education anymore.
Kambwili is a menace to both education and society. What a “you see less- mini star” who seems to know nothing about the importance of education.
2016, abash pathetic failures (PF)!
Banawakwi pliz you have not joined politics today. you have been mp and minister of finance what you are saying is good but our govt does not have capacity to do that. Remember such can hapen if parents of those children are dead but a good number of them have bodied parents who are even working. mind you its a crime to have a child who you cant keep
When she was Minister of Finance she thought putting up ‘fi Nawakwi’ at markets was more important than Education. Hypocrite! She even attends the girls funeral, who she never knew, just to gain political mileage. How revolting can one really get.
This state of affairs is a CULMINATION. It is not as sudden as we are trying to make it. I remember as far back as the late 80s when Kaunda declared that “we have enough graduates…” in response to one demonstration for increased bursaries. The problem with Zambians is we have seared memories that can only hold a few months’ worth of memories. To pile this on the current administration is at best incompetent. That said, we need to look at models that will encourage private citizens to put up scholarships, too. A ‘Scholarship for promising females in Engineering Scholar’ for example, starts a good ball rolling. This wringing of hands and trying to wrest funding from other sectors to knee-jerk react to this current crisis is NOT a good direction to resolving this state of affairs.
Obviously this government has not articulated a youth program. No party seems to take the Youth problem
KAMBWILI is right Government cannot pay for education for all poor people , who made them POOR? and for the girl she could have had some other issues not BC problem because to be denied BC is not the end of the world , and for a girl its very easy, u just NYENGESA and the big bossses pay for your school.