Students of higher learning in Southern Africa who met at the 2018 Regional Education Summit in Johannesburg have advised African and Chinese leaders to ensure that Africa-China relations are strengthened to go beyond pursuit to make profits by China to contributing towards education of young Africans and building capacities among student in the region by way of provision of grants.
Over 30 leaders from umbrella bodies of students unions in Southern Africa Development Countries (SADC) had been meeting at Witwatersrand University from 25th to 29th October, 2018 discussing challenges of academic freedoms and funding of higher education in the region under the theme, “Democratisation of Education in SADC.”
The Unions also noted that African Governments must commit themselves to budgetary allocation of 20 percent of the national budget towards funding of education in line with the Cairo Protocol on Education which many countries are signatories to. SADC students expressed concerns that funding of education and health in most countries has been on the decline as compared to funds allocated towards servicing of debts and other areas such as acquisition of security gadgets abused by the State Police in different countries top oppress students and their own citizens.
Students have said governments in the region must unite their efforts in negotiating debts being acquired by their countries from countries such as China to include a package of grants to fund higher education. The students have since called on both governments in the region to prioritise allocation of resources and the private sectors to contribute towards funding of higher education.
Meanwhile, Zambia, though the Zambia National Students’ Union (ZANASU) has been selected by the Southern African Students’ Union (SASU) to host a full SASU Executive Meeting by the end of 2018 and further host the 2019 Regional Education Summit. The executive meeting is meant to assess the preparedness and commitment of the country to host the 2019 Regional Education Summit.
Zambia’s successful bid, which comes at the time of Zambia’s 54th Independence Celebration has been described as a way for the region to recognise the role Zambia and the students of higher learning played in the liberation of the entire Southern Africa.
SASU Acting Secretary General Maxwell Dhlamini said Zambian students and Zambians generally have been key to mobilising, hosting and uniting freedom fighters to fight a noble cause and the struggle must take a new twist where black governments and their students must work together to champion academic freedoms, promotion of self-governance and strengthening the role of students in national governance as the country did during the liberation struggle for SADC
Tribalism is a cousin of Racism. All racists are tribalists and all tribalists are racists! Tribalists here are more likely to H-attack the Chinese and are more likely to H-attack the President or those who are not Tonga or their grouping on this site. Now I am sure you H-understand where I am coming from.
I think HAZALUZA HAGAIN.
This bandit called Sharon must be a serious dandala head. Not sure why I am even wasting my time posting. The country is not only poverty stricken from the food perspective but from the brain as well going by the post from this coward using the name Sharon. Spineless little creature
I was right on my first posting. ANDALA is from NAMWALA.
“If the Privatization THIEF and Money Laundering THIEF HH becomes President and ZAMBIA NATION TEAM COACH, there will be no poverty in Zambia and the national team will win at least 10 FIFA World Cups,” TRIBALIST CHILDISH.
This is good stance by students. China is here to stay but we must negotiate better deals such as CSR for them to fund education. We can’t be singing against China all the time but Chiba must also realise they need African peoples and students to appreciate them. They can only do so through making substantial contributions to education
African govts will eat all Chinese support to education unless China fund students directly. But this call is timely on China. They can’t just be making profits. Also govt must tale advantage of Zambia hosting summit to show solidarity to students and ZANASU. The two need each other.
African govts will eat all Chinese support to education unless China fund students directly. But this call is timely on China. They can’t just be making profits. Also govt must tale advantage of Zambia hosting summit to show solidarity to students and ZANASU. The two need each other.
The Chinese are businessmen and not into provision of education. asking them to invest in education is worst of time. they will not. they are not charitable like the West. am happy though that Zambia will host Summit. bringing our country’s image to good international recognition. my worry is Luo. will she sanction? that woman hate students, just like her bosses.
THINK THE ZAMBIA IS WELL POSITIONED TO HOST SUMMIT AND THOSE DOUBTING MINISTER LUO AND THINK SHE IS PETTY MAY BE MISTAKEN. SHE MAY EVEN BE FIRST ONE TO PUSH THIS AGENDA. LETS NOT POLITIC THIS. ZAMBIANS RE PATRIOTIC AND ALWAYS RISE ABOVE PETTY DIFFERENCES FOR GOOD OF THE COUNTRY
Forget the Chinese. They ain’t into education. This call is falling on deaf ears. Our leaders ain’t caring anything too so long they get the cuts from China deals. This funding of education does offer cuts for either African leaders not Chinese. So its lost cause
Our students must be commended and encouraged for coming out straight on this matter. But now bodies such as AU and SADC and Chinese bodies need to begin thinking of how to engage each other. China has been misunderstood because it does not invest in things that matter most like helping students or provision of medical care. China must see this as an entry point to engaging the real African people around SADC – China relations
China has capacity to offer scholarships to deserving students, not the very few which they offer at the moment. If China offered undergraduate scholarships, it will help encourag more interaction between Chinese people and SADC nationals where China is our honoured guest for all its help, beginning with the independence struggle to the current struggle for economic emancipation of SADC nations. China’s assistance has proved invaluable. At the moment China has been misunderstood because interaction between China and SADC has been limited to business while the West have gone beyond that to providing financial assistance. I think China must also help fund a conference between bodies such as SASU and ZANASU with other Chinese nationals. Engage China on this guys