Popular musician and activist Pilato has written a letter appealing to President Edgar Lungu to reopen the Copperbelt University.
In the letter, Pilato says the closure of CBU is a work against President Lungu’s own efforts as a government.He said some of the CBU students are children of members of the Patriotic Front while some of the children come from very poor families who sacrifice everything just to have them get an education.
Below is the full letter authored by Pilato
Dear Mr President,
RE: CBU Reopening
Please refer to the subject above.
Mr. President I write to seek for your consideration in the matters surrounding the Copperbelt University.
Sir, Zambia a country you are President for is ranked amongst the poorest in the world with alarming levels of illiteracy. Majority of our people are geographically disadvantaged, many who were not lucky to have been born on the Copperbelt, Livingstone or Lusaka endure long distances to access a nearest school. This is a reality that you should be bothered about. It is very concerning because Zambia’s development will only be attained with quality education. Your excellency, it will be very difficult for you and your party to develop this country without an educated population.
The closure of CBU is a work against your own efforts as a government. Some of the CBU students are children of members of your own party the Patriotic Front. Some of these children come from very poor families who sacrifice everything just to have them get an education. Sir the Closure of CBU is a national threat. The university is a garden of dreams, dreams that can change the present and the future of our country. This closure has halted these dreams and if it’s prolonged, the damage may cost this country more in future.
I wish to appeal to your conscience sir, for the sake of our good country, open the university. Free the dreams of our young people. If not for the sake of the country, please do it for the members of your party whose children are affected by this closure. Not so many of our people are privileged to enter university so we should not seem to frustrate those that make it.
The future of this country depends on the dreams of its young people. Please do not deny them an opportunity to get an education.
Pilato
#OpenCBU
Also it is important to comment about on the behavior of some students so that you balance your article.
Well done Pilato. Yes, Mr Presidente the bright future of this nation depends on these young individuals.
Please reopen the Uni.
Pilato should also consult with the students before they destroy property
JC, every problem has a cause or causes anefect of effects. To eradicate an identified problem, you need to address what causes that problem. For as long as you dont do that, the effects of that problem will never go away. So, what is causing all these problems at our public universities? i will leave you to answer this question yourself and if you anwer it correctly, your commen will change immediately. I rest my case.
But kwena Luo’s heart is dark. Does she have children?
The violent students should be taught a lesson. University should not be opened. Infact it should be turned into a hospital. If they value education let them go register at Mulugushu, Cavendish , Liubtem, apex, etc. The choice is wide.
Yes Luo has two sons & well mannered, then your children who go to CBU just to become a cadre mr.double ……….
They have no value for education…surely how can a mere degree take five years to complete. Why should we allows appeal to the President? Why is he choosing the wrong ministers to head these departments?
We are talking about the so called intellectuals. Have anyone seen the level of destructions they did these intellectuals? The level of destruction is quite unprecedented. When this university reopens, they will be conducting classes without window panes because all windows were completely shuttered by these guys. It is better as much as we want this institution to open, think also about their behavior when airing their grievances
Why don’t the police use the cctv cameras that we were told had been installed to root out the trouble makers …….UNZA and CBU were billed for those cameras ……unless that money was chewed by PF and no cctv work done
Your construction of the Queen’s mother tongue exposes your ignorance and the fact that you have never passed near the corridor of these institutions, your jealous will take you nowhere. Any sane Zambian knows that to every action there is a cause and that prevention is better than cure. Which of the two has your masquerades paid attention to? I don’t tolerate the nonsense of damaging innocent peoples’ property but what I am disgusted more with is the incompetence, stupidity and idiocy of the causers of the unrests.
My comment is for Isaac.
Attention seeker, keep quiet you filthy cunt. CBU has representatives
Education is legacy that our children need in the community. Mind you this is a scientific world where development is associated with adequate understanding of technology.Pilato is in the right path let us support opinions and views with a right vision
Our country lacks scientist,adequately trained engineers,governors artists ,pilots,etc and Zambia still relays on expertriates for certain jobs in most provinces evidenced by poverty and poor infrastructure and absent of specialised skills in most cases.
,(supplementary information to initial contribution)
The level of hoe the World works is frightening in this Country. Even some University Educated people still don’t understand that the Country needs an Educated Manpower. In most cases, people only care that these Institutions are left open IF they have a relative at the Institution. One of my sister-in-laws used to get excited each time UNZA closed and even said she wished they shut it permanently just to fix me. Now she is a Grade 7 Graduate so one can understand how she does not associate Doctors treating her, teachers teaching her kids, and everyone who is serving her and thee nation in any capacity. I know a College educated man who was a Train Conductor who really wished the Universities are permanently shut to fix unruly students. You can see Luo has no clue the Institutions are…
… ortant. It is no wonder all our Universities are tumbling World Rankings and a degree of these Universities is increasingly losing significance.
Closure of CBU is a clear sign of failed leadership and it has nothing to do with property destruction. Those students are frustrated because you don’t pay them on time and it seems to be getting worse. This government is failing to meet it’s obligations while it mismanages the country’s finances which comes at a price of not paying people on time while taxing them heavily. Instead of saving money we have lungu and his ministers showing up at every meeting abroad as if they are the MC’s, we also overpaying for cheap Chinese infrastructure through kickbacks and not forgetting high levels of corruption. This bad leadership has closed CBU more than others before them, this is what’s wrong with Africa, others manage thousands of universities and we failing to manage a few with the only…
Comment: that’s true Mr sir,
please open the university .
You have not talked about the destruction being done by these University chaps. Let them learn some lessons. I wish the school doesn’t open until 2021. This has nothing to do with ECL.
The so called intellectuals stoned my vehicle and it is still in the garage. I have incurred unnecessary costs. So do not open please.
This article sounds like a blame and a blame goes to the 1 man..so this president has to endure it all. I don’t wish to be 1.CBU is full of bakabova not wise students. Whoever supports what those mangwams of students did he is also a kabova.Nowander they graduate to be civil servants.pilota whatever you call yoursellf write Another letter to your friends from CBU.. To have morals and discipline.
Comment: That’s the moza!