As Sunday night’s rioting at the University of Zambia in Lusaka spilt into yesterday, Higher Education Minister Nkandu Luo responded by suspending all activities of the student’s union.
Professor Luo (right) said according to investigations by the authorities, the riots were being instigated by those aspiring for positions in the student’s union in up-coming elections.
She told a Press briefing in Lusaka that all students had already been paid the allowances they were demanding apart from the accommodation allowance which affected only a few students and which was due to be paid yesterday.
She said the self-sponsored students who owed accommodation rentals should have a discussion with management and not cause havoc at the institution because their problem has nothing to do with Government.
On the go-slow by the lecturers, Prof Luo said the ministry was in dialogue with the staff over their grievances.
The students on Sunday night blocked the Great East Road with burning tyres and stones to press for the payment of delayed project and accommodation allowances as well as an end to the lecturers go-slow that started last week.
University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) president Adrian Matole said students were mostly aggrieved over delayed project allowances and their eviction from the hostels.
Mr Matole said those two issues were important to the students, because they affected their learning.
UNZA Vice-Chancellor Luke Mumba said management was engaging relevant authorities in resolving some of the grievances that resulted in the protests.
Professor Mumba said in an interview yesterday that the institution had engaged the Scholarships and Loans Board to resolve the delayed allowances.
“We will engage the Scholarships and loans Board secretariat to discuss the delay in the payment of project allowances, by the way the project allowances are just for students sponsored by Government,” he said.
Prof Mumba said the students demand against the eviction from boarding was unfair because management had given the students enough time to pay and only 400 out of 800 students had paid.
On the action by the lecturers, he said management and the University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) were holding discussions.
Lusaka Province Police Commissioner Nelson Phiri said investigations had been instituted in the riot and that the police had been dispatched to patrol the campus.
No arrests had been made by after when another stirring of confusion was quickly put down by police.
Just pay the lecturers & students their own money PF bandits.
By the way, Nkandu Luo’s parliamentary seat was nullified by the courts. When will Luo & Mwanakatwe respect electoral rules, courts & the constitution after their seat have been nullified?
PF has failed the Education system for the worst in the history of this country, shame PF.
When will Nkandu Luo adhere to the order of courts after her Munali parliamentary declared null & void?
PF give Caesar what belongs to Caesar period.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Little to choose between Luo’s face and heart.
Leave university students to continue to exercise freedom to inter-pollinate ideas. A society begins to decay when its best are muzzled.
Prof Luo (right) looks younger and pretty.
She looks pretty indeed!!
The Union Presidents name is Matole, this could be NEZ’s uncle
What’s the Union Presidents name?
STUDENT LOANS- IS THE ANSWER TO ALL THE RIOTS IN ALL STATE UNIVERSITIES IN ZAMBIA. STUDENT LOANS WILL INSTIL DISCIPLINE IN STUDENTS AS WELL AS LECTURERS. IF ONE HAS TO PAY BACK THE MONEY THEY DON’T WISH TO STAY AT UNI ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY, UNLESS OTHERWISE.
STUDENT LOANS WILL ALSO HELP IN GRADUALLY CREATING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING AMONG THE POOR AND THE RICH.
Suspending union activities I’d not solution. Nkandu Luo on the other hand uses emotions to resolve outstanding issues. She did the sane for Mulungushi University.Any way its no surprise that she does not understand the role and history of Unzasu as she was was not trained at Unza but at some university college in Germany.
RUSSIA
Nkandu Luo that’s a blue lie shame on you..never at a time at unza have the people contesting for elections influenced a riot..why don’t you just say the truth..there are issues of allowances and the go slow by lecturers which are the cause of such riots..and you start talking about contesting students as the cause..just admit that the students union is not siding with the govt hence your decision to suspend their activities..during my Unza days such things were done if we don’t agree with stupid govt instructions..
why is it that the current regime is using force, orders, ultimatums, oppression and so on? Nothing seems to be done normally.
We have destroyed our institutions….. Time to be serious….. I listen to UNZA students speak on Prime TV… Their English was ………….
may we compete with Oxford or Cambridge University…..
Yes you have destroyed Zambia because of thinking through your stomach and its you to suffer.
What a beautiful name we have here!! Adrian Matole
That is what is expected of an illegal minister, intimidation just to attract attention and justify the illegal existence. In fact this visionless party has the most ugly females seconded by ugly males.
Unza boys can do the Minister Nkandu Luo a Macron style…. She can be tamed