CBU closes indefinitely

CBU closes indefinitely
Written by Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe and Mwila Chansa in Ndola
Wednesday, August 26, 2009 5:21:05 PM

COPPERBELT University (CBU) has been closed indefinitely following the disturbances that rocked the campus a few weeks ago.And home affairs minister Lameck Mangani has directed the police to ensure that the CBU students who were involved in the burning of a vehicle belonging to a Kitwe man are charged and prosecuted.

Copperbelt University Students Union (COBUSU) president Kasonde Mwenda confirmed the development in an interview yesterday. He said the decision to close the learning institution was arrived at during a senate meeting on Monday at the university.

"They are saying that the decision was made to allow management to have enough time to investigate the causes of the disturbances at the campus, and that this would serve as a remedial measure to avoid reoccurrence of similar events in the near future," he said.

Mwenda said the decision to close the university was very detrimental and unfortunate. He said investigations into the disturbances could have been carried out without closing the institution.

"It is inevitable to go for a short break, but an indefinite closure is detrimental," Mwenda said.

And COBUSU former finance secretary Masuzyo Nyirongo said the indefinite closure would inflict a lot of pain and frustration on the large populace of students who wanted to graduate and move on with their careers.

"Closures take a lot of time and age is catching up with everyone of us, as students, we need to be allowed to study and contribute to the welfare of our families and the nation," Nyirongo said.

Nyirongo said education minister Dora Siliya should put the interest of education and development first.

"I am pleading and forwarding a passionate appeal to the Ministry of Education to put the interest of education and development first, by intervening in the closure fiasco. I implore honourable Siliya to exercise parenthood and tolerance by not allowing CBU to close indefinitely," he said.

Nyirongo said there was need to put differences aside, saying it was cardinal for the government and students to work as partners if development was to be achieved.

"Because at the end of it all it is one nation we all wish to serve and see progress," Nyirongo said.

And addressing police officers at Ndola Central Police Station yesterday, Mangani directed the police to arrest all the students that were alleged to have burnt a vehicle belonging to a 76-year-old Kitwe resident.

Mangani observed that the path of democracy had brought challenges to the work of police officers.

Mangani cited the protest by CBU students, saying much as they had the right to protest, they had no right to infringe on other people's freedom and rights.

Recently, CBU students staged a demonstration demanding the removal of Siliya as education minister and that the policeman who shot their colleague Cornelius Mwape during another protest they staged at the campus [against theft of a laptop] earlier be arrested.

The students' march into town was peaceful and they were led back to their campus by police officers.

However, later in the evening some students allegedly burnt a vehicle belonging to a Kitwe resident.

Meanwhile, on the welfare of the police, Mangani said the government would settle electricity and water bills as an immediate remedy to the disconnection of supply to most police camps.

Mangani disclosed that the government was considering paying allowances for water, electricity and mealie-meal to officers as opposed to the current trend where bags of mealie-meal were given.

Mangani said the long-term measure to prevent electricity and water disconnection was to give officers allowances for that purpose.

"I am aware that you are facing a lot of challenges in the dispensation of your duties particularly the water and electricity disconnection due to non-payment," Mangani said.

He admitted that the issuance of officers with bags of mealie-meal had been inconsistent and that the solution was to offer such incentives in form of allowances to the officers' salaries.

He said the government wanted to make police officers responsible for the payment of their own bills hence plans to pay allowances for electricity and water.

He hoped that the plans would materialise by the time the next budget was presented.

He said the government wanted to erase the notion that the police service was full of misery.

Mangani also bemoaned the deteriorated state of houses along the borders and police camps most of which were built before independence.