UNZASU rejects Dora

UNZASU rejects Dora
Written by Masuzyo Chakwe
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:13:58 PM

THE University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) has warned that they will not stand and watch the education sector being used as a dumping site. And UNZASU has vowed that it will fight until Dora Siliya is removed as education minister.

Commenting on the re-appointment of Siliya as education minister following her being cleared by High Court judge Phillip Musonda of breaching the Constitution as found by the tribunal, UNZASU president Duncan Nyirongo and publicity and information secretary Bertha Kalongelwa stated that the government had once again taken its people for granted, expecting them to raise dust for two or three days over their inconsideration of the Zambian masses and eventually accept and forget all the injustices placed upon them.

UNZASU stated that it was now evident that the President Banda government was aimed at killing the education sector.

"It pleases this government to have high levels of uneducated citizens as such a population tends to have very shallow understanding of its rights. We would like to caution government that UNZASU is not going to stand and watch the education sector being used as a dumping site. Education surely deserve better than bits and pieces," it stated.

UNZASU stated that it was taking a firm stance against the re-appointment of Siliya as Minister of Education because she had been taken to a more sensitive ministry that should never be trivialised.

"As a body under the Ministry of Education we are not going to relent until Ms Dora Siliya is removed from the Ministry of Education. We have had enough of this government taking Zambians for a ride, Zambia is not a circus. Unfortunately for the government, this particular saga will not go unchecked; we will fight until she is removed from this cardinal office," the duo stated. "We are saddened by the head of state's decision to re-instate her after she willingly resigned. We further ask as to whether the country has run out of capable and credible people who can serve as Cabinet ministers. The action by the President has great potential of discrediting the entire Cabinet as Zambians are now questioning its entire constituents."

The duo stated that while UNZASU acknowledged the fact that the head of state had the power and authority to appoint and disappoint; leadership also involved morals and principles.

They wondered why the President had decided to please a few individuals at the expense of the masses that put him in power.

"It's high time our leaders realised that they are representatives of the whole nation and not of the minority that they have physical contact with on a daily basis. Zambians have expressed no confidence in Ms Siliya's leadership and UNZASU has zero confidence in her being able to deliver in the Ministry of Education," they stated.

UNZASU stated that the appointment of Siliya was questionable because she had not been cleared by the High Court of all counts outlined by the tribunal.

"Why is she receiving preferential treatment? Firstly, personnel relieved from a government office, are mandated to hand back state property, vacate government residences and are not required to attend to any matters of their former office. This was not so in the case of Ms Siliya. Secondly, it took a High Court judge to overrule the ruling of a tribunal that consisted of two Supreme Court judges and found her wanting on eight counts. Such occurrences have potential to compromise the trust that the general citizenry has in the Judiciary," the union stated.

The duo stated that the constant underfunding of the education sector depicted the lack of appreciation of the sector by the government's leadership.

They stated that this was shameful and did not make sense as the perpetrators of this injustice were themselves products of affordable education that the first Republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda provided.

"The President as father of the nation, can he for once please have compassion for the over 70 per cent of his children across the nation who are wallowing in poverty without access to education, three decent meals a day, clean water, health services, and employment. This is not time for politicking but for national development. Zambia is on her knees, desperate for leadership that will propel it to development. Zambians do not deserve the atrocities they have been subjected to for too long a time as it is evident in the hospitals," they stated.

UNZASU stated that the recent questions raised by some donors and the subsequent withholding of aid to Zambia's health sector by some countries was a clear indication of their lack of total confidence in the government and its financial control systems.

Recently, funding from the Swedish and Dutch governments to the Ministry of Health were withheld following corruption revelations at the Ministry of Health involving about K27 billion..

The duo stated that this should serve as a wake-up call to the government.

According to the union, they were concerned that despite the Ministry of Education being one of the cornerstones of development, it had continued to be the victim of passive and casual attention.

"Currently the Ministry of Education is one of the worst-hit ministries with the effects of under funding deterring scholars' progress at all levels from primary to tertiary. This is evident in the striking teachers and lecturers, demonstrations by students and pupils across, shortage of staff and academic material and the many other vices existent in the education sector. The head of state has not shown concern for the sector by his new appointment, and UNZASU is not ready to bear the grave consequences of his action," they stated.

The duo stated that it was unfortunate that certain bootlickers were in favour of President Banda's decision, proving to simply be job seekers.

"These individuals have no love for the country, as they have proved to be too self centered and as such, are willing to demean the value of the Ministry of Education. Further, Ms Siliya has shown lack of principles, citing her ‘noble’ act of resignation, after which, she jumped to the occasion of her re-appointment and has accepted it with open hands. One wonders as to whether this was a predetermined move," they stated.

The union stated that it was unfortunate that the government positions had been trivialised and that cadres were being appointed to serve as permanent secretaries in administrative nerve centres of any ministry that required credible persons.

They stated that this attitude had led to the current situation in the country where most ministries and government departments were badly hit with incompetency leading to very low productivity.

They stated that it was because of such attitudes that Zambia remained one of the poorest countries in the world.

UNZASU stated that as students, they were taking their rightful place and would ensure that their livelihood and sector were not experimented upon by a person that had failed in an even smaller ministry.

"We therefore, request the head of state to reconsider his appointment and have Ms Dora Siliya replaced by a more capable and credible person," stated the union.