The FDD has demanded for the immediate reopening of the Copperbelt University and Education Minister Michael Kaingu saying the Minister has no capacity to understand and deal with challenges affecting the country’s education sector.
Speaking when he featured on the 5FM’s discussion program dubbed the Burning Issue, FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said the Minister was clueless on the issues affecting the Copperbelt University.
“First of all we As FDD are dismayed as a party that Government has not paid any attention whatsoever to the crisis the CBU, I want to remind the listeners that CBU was closed in January and remind on recess for 6 months that simply means that academic year was thrown into tantrum and when it was opened in June it was just stayed for 2 to 3 weeks and there is this current impasse.
Students have not been to class in the Last 2-3 weeks that the institution has been open and today they have closed the institution and demanded that the students should leave the university in the next 14hrs because 10 hrs has already passed,the question is what has been governments response to the crisis at the UNZA? His Excellence the President who is also the Minister of Defence honorable Edgar Lungu says it is not his baby at the international airport, he said there is a Minister of Education he will handle the problems at UNZA and what was the position of the Minister nothing mute.
There has been a crisis for 6months at CBU what has been the position of the President, the honorable Minister of Defence Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu? Nothing. What has been the response the Minister? His response has been to come out hold a press briefing and close the institution because without even giving us the way forward. We want to that to remind the Minister that Education is the only way to fight poverty in this country.
As FDD we demand for the immediate reopening of the Copperbelt University and we also demand that the Minister should go to the Copperbelt University and sit with the waring parties so as to find the solution and allow the students to get back to class and learn. If the Minister cannot mitigate this position then the only thing to do is to step down because if you can’t even run a single University then what kind of a government are you?” Wondered Mr. Mwanza.
Mr. Mwanza further admonished the PF Government for not prioritizing the education sector as a tool for eliminating poverty in the country.
“It is a clear case of the Government failing to prioritize education as way of fighting poverty and rescuing our people from this poverty. This Government has not prioritized education if I go back to the numbers, the budget for 2014/2015 the Ministry of Education was given about 15 percent of the entire budget and 71percent of that was to go emolument living nothing for books, living nothing for labs, living nothing for building of schools and universities,” he said.
PF is always Planning to Fail. A bunch of illiterate, greedy criminals. They would rather discuss about Tongas than sort out issues at CBU. Infact other higher learning institutes too are in trouble and needs government intervention. Cry my beloved Zambia. 2016 please come fast.
Chzingu icho
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We don’t discuss ”ABOUT”…Institutions and not Institutes and it should have been ”need” an not needs govt bla bla…yaba ubokopo! Even if 2016 came fast with dullards like you, the PF would still be retained!
After the CBU was force closed; then what since the Minister claims they warriors refused to dialogue? Indeed, the Minister has taken the convenient way out of the issue and that would not resolve the problem if he does not call for a round table meeting. When he finally does, a lot of time would have been wasted when it could have been saved in the first place.
Negotiation and conflict resolution must be taught as the first class at UNZA and CBU. That way students will learn to effectively sit down with officials and find solutions for their problems instead of behaving like Shaka Zulu’s induna’s and bring carnage to the schools each time a toilet blocks.
@Nubian Princess,
Good point – Negotiation and comflict resolution are key components of life both in the social and economic sectors and personally I would for that to be introduced in the Civics curriculum (if that still exists) and extented into senior secondary school.
It may just improve the reasoning capacity of many Zambians who many times resort to insults as a means of getting heard of others. Something that is very evident on various media blogs
Imagine, the young lady in that picture is your sister, nice or daughter. The Minister Kaingu and his fellow retards in govt do not care. We know Iris, Kaingu’s daughter is at university abroad and so are many of the ministers’s kids.
nawakwi sometimes you let your party spokesperson alandako daily yapping is that quality we are looking for in a presidential candidate.
@Nubian Princess at al
Why are you all deluding yourselves in support of stupid PF that negotiations and conflict resolutions are not taught CBU and UNZA. Infact it does not make sense to make the whole degree centred on negotiation and conflict resolution thats why these are modules taught in political science, Business studies , Public administration to mention but a few degrees taught in Zambia.
Whats happening in Zambia has nothing to do with negotiation and conflict management skills or lack of it. But its utter stupidity of the government not willing to listen to the grievances of its workers.
Those of you who allude to Nubian princess ‘s scape goat should know that workers at both institutions started negotiating with government over allowances and pay rise last year.
One thing should be made clear here, lest we all get entangled in the mess LT wants to paint of the issue in support of PF ba chimbwi no plan.
The real bone of contention between government and its workers at CBU and UNZA is the non payment of allowances which these workers have been entitled to and paid even before PF came to power. Workers feel cheated because its like they are getting a pay cut amid a wage freeze. Is it fair really?
So those of you who are thinking that they demanding for increased pay are just blowing the situation out of proportion to support the stupid PF.
I know some of you commenting in support of PF are in foreign service department working abroad and PF will be cutting your pay in months to come because its trying to save money for campaigns
Yes they want a pay rise but what is really hurting them more to a point of downing tools is the non payment of the allowances which they have been receiving even before PF came to power.
How many of you would continue to work if told your pay will be cut on top of being delayed??.
Only people who do not value their time and have no transferable skills would continue in such a do and die slavery situation.
Education is real power my dear girl Zambia!
Nawakwi’s support for HH’s criticism of PF Govt. is a case of “SUNKA MJULAMU”. HH, Nawakwi and the nation must know that there are legal structures that govern our 3 public Universities – these being: a Minister of Education, University Councils and Senates.
When the nation was going into Presidential elections, HH’s cadres as senior academics of his kind embedded in School of Natural Sciences at Unza and School of Natural Resources at CBU were agitating for change at Unza and CBU. They hatched a plot that if HH won as Republican President, the VCs at Unza and CBU were to be replaced by Tongas through a Presidential Decree, irrespective of prevailing legally constituted structures.
What transpired at CBU may soon reveal the extent of HH’s political cob-web that has embroile
There is a positive relationship between education and good leadership. Remember that our leaders are elected. An educated nation equips itself with capacity to know a good leader. In Zambia only 25% of the population is literate. This means that the 75% ill educated population has been making decisions for the country on who should be the president. The question is who is to blame? My unconditional response is “Kaunda’s government takes 90% of the blame. I say this because at a time Zambia had the economy to support the construction of universities, we could have built more than ten (10) holistic universities across the country. The governments that have followed must also strive to ensure that our people get education. Poverty, hunger, poor leadership are all offshoots of illiteracy.
@?mwila ingu michelo. You are very correct. We get poor leadership because the illiterate outnumber the literate. Its so upsetting I’m wondering if I should just stop voting. If you hear the thought process of people in the Komboni, you can see that this country is going nowhere.
@?mwila ingu michelo. You are very correct. We get poor leadership because the illiterate outnumber the literate. Its so upsetting I’m wondering if I should just stop voting. If you hear the thought process of people in the Komboni, you can see that this country is going nowhere.
Edith should reason before she issues or she opens her mouth.Of late she is just talking any how and as a result she is un able to talk sense. The situation at CBU warranted immediate action from our able bodied Government led by our beloved president Mr Edgar Changwa Lungu. The core business at CBU is student production propelled by Lecturers.Now if the Lecturers are on strike saying they do not want Ngoma then for business continuity Ngoma must go.
MPHANGWE COMMENTS ARE NOT TRUE .IF U DO NOT UNDERSTAND ISSUES IT IS BETTER TO JUST SHUT UP YOUR TRIBAL MOUTH.WHY DO U HATE TONGAS AND LOZIS KANSHI.IF U CAME TO CBU NOW MOST OF THE KEY OFFICES DEAN/DIRECTORS ARE COMING FROM SAME REGIONS ,TONGAS HAVE NOT COMPLAINED .BUT IF THEY WERE TONGAS ALL TRIBAL MOUTHES LIKE YOURS WOULD HAVE OPENED THEIR MOUTHES.PLEASE LET US AVOID THIS RUBISH OF SAYING THNGS THAT ARE TRIBAL. IT IS NOT GOOD .JUST ANALYSE THE ISSUE AT HAND. ASK PROF MWANALUSHI WHAT HAPPENED AT THE UNIVERSITY DAY LAST YEAR HE WILL TELL YOU THE ATTENDANCE.THE CURRENT VC AND DVC ARE NOT A\\ GOOD MANAGERS.INFACT ALL HIS MGT SHUD ALSO RESIGN FOR FAILING TO GUIDE HIM.
The Education Minister has failed lamentably. He has to resign on moral ground. If he cannot solve issues affecting a single university (CBU), how can he be in charge of education then? These guys have failed the people of Zambia. Enough is enough.
Ba FDD – It is ultimatum after ultimatum!! Struggle to be relevant, yaba!
FDD under this woman you call Nawakwi (husband snatcher) stopped making sense when Christon Tembo died!
Dr. Kaiungu, listen to the voice of reason. It appears you are already biased in your comments against CBUAU. You refuse to understand their grievances which have been well articulated from the beginning. You cannot have a vice-chancellor who is only interested in travelling abroad even when there is a crisis in the institution! CBU is on fire, and you Dr. Kaingu as a fireman are just watching it burn. If you cannot do your job, please resign and let someone else do it.
“WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT?”
CAN ANYONE NAME ANY ASPECT OF ZAMBIAN LIFE THE THE PF HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT? WE ARE A NATION THAT HAS BEEN SUCKED INTO A SPIRAL OF FAILING GOVERNMENT AND BY THE TIME WE WAKE THE DAMAGE DONE WILL BE TOO HARD TO RECTIFY. REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATION WE NEED TO ACCEPT THE REALITY AND EXTENT OF OUR DIRE SITUATION. FIRST STEP TO FIXING A PROBLEM IS ADMITTING WE HAVE ONE. NO GOVERNMENT CAN BE PERFECT BUT ALL GOOD GOVERNMENTS ACCCEPT THE EXISTENCE OF PROBLEMS AND TRANSPARENTLY ENGAGE TO SOLVE THEM. LUNGU NEEDS TO BE A LEADER AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS GOVERNMENT AND TAKE OVER THIS ISSUE. WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT?
One of the problems we have had in the past is the president being in and commenting on everything happening in the country. ECL appointed ministers to represent him. Hold them accountable – do you remember when ECL said the Secretary to the Cabinet was to issue a statement to Ms. Kaseba’s eviction? That is leadership. Let’s not get used to wanting the president to be talking on all issues happening in the country everyday and forget that we pay a whole lot of other people (line managers) to do the work for us.
@Observer WELL SAID. EXCEPT WHEN THE SYSTEM BREAKS DOWN AND THSE DELEGATED TO MANAGE THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF ANY ENTIRE SECTOR OF GOVERNMENT ARE CLEARLY FAILING AND MATTERS GET TO CRISIS PROPORTIONS THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND TAKE LEADERSHIP. HE CAN EITHER HELP RESOLVE THE ISSUE OR APPOINT SOMEONE ELSE. THIS IS A CRISIS WITH NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS AND THE TAX PAYERS ARE LEFT FOOTING THE BILLS. LUNU CAN NOT GO INCOGNITO WHEN WE HAVE A CRISIS AND RESURFACE EACH TIME WE HAVE A BY ELECTION MEANWHILE KAINGU IS DESTROYING THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR. THIS CRISIS NEEDS PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION AND GUIDANCE.
The cbu issue is not between govt and cbu, it between cbu management or VC with unionized workers.
2. govt have gone in and the so called learned are refusing to dialogue.
3. One thing cbu unionized workers are failing to tell the nation is what wrong has prof.ngoma committed to be pushed out; just because he wants everyone to be actively involved in imparting knowledge becomes big issue.
4. Cbu unionized workers heard that unza vice chancellor has resigned, so even them that’s when they started victimizing vc-cbu
5. Believe it or not every time they hear unza staff salary has gone up, even them they wake up and wants their money multiply over night…
In short it is ‘COPY and PASTE syndrome destroying cbu academic affairs
bloggers don’t just comment be reasonable…
My friend, you need to visit cbu before you comment. For your information,
1) there is a tent elected at cbu at huge cost of more than 5 billion oldurrency (5 million rebased) tax payers money.
2) Management purchased themselves brand new cheveloret Trail Braisers at a loan cbu is yet to pay from invest trust.
3) Management bought some house in parklands now being used as resturant known as Afrikanza whose profits if at all are there no one knows where they go ( at a minimum of 2 billion old currency).
4) Another house was purchased in parklands which is now used as post graduate, costing somewhere above 2 billion old currency.
5) And now management approved a budget to construct a Day care, car park and and administrative office block, mean while basic things like paper,…
…markers and toiletries became scarce or non existent. University opened and the first two weeks, there was no time table… reason, classes are not enough to accommodate all courses. Labs are non-functional, and lecturers do not have furniture, office space and no computers to work with…
I hear students had to do labs at TVTC!!! Imagine a university hiring facilities from a college. That is to much of a joke.
Single sourcing of contractors working on non academic related activities…who owns these companies…
Anyway this just a tip of the ice berg, and this is public money which need to be well ultilised…
Get facts before you comment…
THE PF GOVERNANCE IS A FAILED GOVERNMENT. I GOOGLED ONE MINISTER SPEAKING FROM GREECE SAYING “DONT TURN GREECE INTO ZAMBIA” I THINK ZAMBIA IS ON THE LIST OF AMONG THE FAILED GOVERNANCE.
You must have been at CBU campus to understand that Prof. Naison Ngoma is running CBA like a military camp. He is no administrator and he is no leader to inspire anyone. All the lecturers and support staff will tell you that when you are called to his office or have an issue to be sorted out, you must start farting there and then. He is not a good guy to work with in an academic institution. The earlier the appointing authority realizes this point the better because Prof. Ngoma has no intention and capacity to resign on moral grounds because he basically can not find another job like Prof. Simukanga formerly of UNZA. Mulekwatako insoni ba Ngoma….the majority have spoken and they would like you gone just like yesterday!