Student protests and vandalism
By Editor
Fri 19 July 2013, 14:00 CAT
Evelyn Hone College has been closed for two weeks following a riot by students in which they destroyed property worth over half a million kwacha. And 70 students comprising 21 males and 49 females have been arrested by the police in connection with this destruction of property.
No one can oppose or challenge the students' right to protest. In a democratic society, students, like all other citizens, have a right to gather peacefully and protest the policies, decisions or actions of their government or those of other groups with demonstrations, marches, petitions, class and other boycotts and other forms of direct citizen action.
Direct action is open to everyone in a democracy, but it traditionally has been used by disadvantaged or marginalised groups who feel excluded from other means of influencing government policies and actions. And students rightly fall in this category. Such protests have always been part of democratic societies. Today, non-violent protest, often designed to attract the attention of the news media, encompasses a wide array of issues.
Protests are a testing ground for any democracy. The ideals of free expression and citizen participation are easy to defend when everyone remains polite and in agreement on basic issues. But protestors and their targets do not agree on basic issues, and such disagreements may be passionate and angry. The challenge then is one of balance: to defend the right to freedom of speech and assembly, while maintaining public order and countering attempts at violence and destruction of property. To suppress peaceful protest in the name of order is to invite repression; to permit uncontrolled violent protest is to invite anarchy. And we feel some Evelyn Hone students crossed the line into the sphere of anarchy.
Among the things they destroyed were six panels of a wall permeter in two places, a block of fabricated classroom was burnt, all windows in the fabricated classroom were shattered. A traffic light on Church Road was damaged and so were 10 Zamtel billboards on Church Road. They destroyed a glass pane at Lusaka Fire Brigade. And a padlock at a Zesco sub-station within campus was destroyed. The windscreens of three private minibuses parked at Lusaka Central Police Station were smashed.
The question is: should the authorities turn a blind eye to all this unjustified destruction of property, both private and public, simply because those involved were students? The answer is a categorical no.
Those involved in the destruction of all this property are students who have committed a crime for which they deserve to be arrested and prosecuted. There is no connection between the traffic lights on Church Road and the problems they are facing at Evelyn Hone College.
What is the connection between their grievances and the private minibuses parked at Lusaka Central Police Station? What have Zamtel billboards got to do with their college issues? How will damaging the Lusaka Fire Brigade premises help to resolve the problems they are facing at Evelyn Hone College? What about the classroom they have destroyed! Who should rebuild it? Where are they going to be learning from when the college reopens?
The criminal behaviour of students needs to be dealt with. There is need to prosecute those who were involved in the destruction of property and send them to jail if possible. It is not enough to simply expel those who destroyed property. They need to be prosecuted so that an example is set. The property they destroyed is not theirs. Some of it is for the common good of all - present and future students need to use these facilities for their own benefit and for the benefit of society. No one has the right to destroy public or private property in the name of a protest.
It is time our students were taught a lesson in civility. Many people have been maimed for life by protesting students. We have people who have lost their eyes on our public roads from stones thrown by protesting or rioting students. This needs to be put to an end. And it is not a matter between students and their college authorities. It is a public issue that needs to be prosecuted by the police.
The students involved are not minors. They are adults under the law - most of them, if not all, are over 18 years of age. They therefore deserve to be treated like any other citizen who commits a similar crime of vandalism.
They have the right to protest but they do not have the right to wantonly destroy public or private property. They could still attract enough attention to their issues by protesting peacefully without destroying property. Those who engage in vandalism in the name of protest lose the protection of the law in such protests. The law protects the right to protest and not the destruction of property.
And it should be made a collective responsibility of all students who will be allowed back to pay for the classroom that has been destroyed, failure to that they should learn under a tree. This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated in any of our institutions of learning and indeed from any citizen or group of citizens whatever their grievances. Therefore, those involved in this vandalism should be taught a lesson that will stand as an example to all.
Labels: EVELYN HONE COLLEGE, STUDENTS
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Tunkara's arrest saddens former UNZASU president
By Staff Reporter
Fri 22 Mar. 2013, 14:01 CAT
FORMER UNZASU president Kelvin Hambwezya has described the arrest of current union leader Ali Tunkara for forgery, uttering false statements and attempted theft as shameful.
Hambwezya has advised the current student leadership to lead the union in a mature manner bearing in mind the important role it plays in the country.
Speaking in light of the arrest of University of Zambia Students' Union (UNZASU) president Ali Tunkara and two other students for forgery, uttering and attempted theft of KR50,000, Hambwezya said he was saddened by the development.
"I am trembling with shame to see UNZASU president being dragged to court over alleged criminal activities. UNZA is known for fighting for justice. Since it was formed it has championed good causes," Hambwezya said.
"I humbly request the University of Zambia authorities and government wings involved to sort out the matter administratively especially that the money was not stolen because their future will be in tartars."
Hambwezya said it was important for UNZASU leaders to run the union in a mature enough manner and not embarrass those that once led it.
"I ran that institution at a critical time during the third term debate of the late president Frecerick Chiluba… We organised demonstrations, collaborated with Civil society organisations and together we brought to a halt that attempt to abrogate Constitution of the land. So UNZASU is known for such things not illegality. Can the President (Michael Sata) pardon these guys," said Hambwezya.
The Drug Enforcement Commission arrested Tunkara and two other students for forgery, uttering of false documents and attempted theft involving K50 million (KR50,000).
Tunkara, 25, of 22/11 Emmasdale Lusaka, was arrested and jointly charged with Augustine Mukuka, 24, of Chilanga and Philip Siame, 24, of 7876/2 Woodlands Extension, Lusaka.
It is alleged that Tunkara whilst acting jointly with Mukuka and Siame, both students at UNZA, between December 1, 2012 and January 31, 2013, did forge the signature of the deputy Dean of Students, purporting that he had authored an introductory letter to a named bank to enable them open a bank account for the union and deposit a cheque of K50,000,000, donated to the student union by Munali PF member of parliament Nkandu Luo through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Tunkara has meanwhile pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Labels: ALI TUNKARA, KELVIN HAMBWEZYA, STUDENTS, UNIONS, UNSAZU
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Students marginalised in development - UNZASU
By Allan Mulenga
Mon 11 Feb. 2013, 09:40 CAT
THE University of Zambia Students' Union (UNZASU) says students have been marginalised in the development process of the country.
Commenting on President Michael Sata's statement that he was greatly concerned over the limited role students in institutions of higher learning have been playing in the development process of the country, UNZASU information and publicity secretary Thelma Zimba said national development could only realised if there was full participation of young people.
"There is no employment in the country. That makes it hard for young people to contribute positively to the development of the country. Because you can be at school for many years, where are you going to find a job? The government should come up with policies that will support job creation for young people.
Because this is the cry that was in the MMD, and that why PF was voted to power," Zimba said. "Students can contribute to the development of the nation by being proactive in things that concern them. Students are not actively involved in issues to do with national development. If young people had a role to play in national development, we will see more development because they have fresh minds. They have entrepreneurship skills that can bring considerable development as opposed to the traditional way of doing things," Zimba said.
She urged students to employ dialogue whenever they had issues to do with the government.
"As a union we don't sanction the use of violence to air our grievances. That is not a proper channel and we will not defend that. The government needs to be proactive. We have a government that only waits for violence before things are acted upon. When there is a problem let someone work on it before taking to the streets. Dialogue is the best way of solving problems, but dialogue can only be there if parties are willing to sit down and resolve the issues," said Zimba.
In his foreword in the book 'Student' Reclaim of a Place in Society' by Kitwe Riverside ward councillor Christopher Kang'ombe, President Sata condemned the use of violence by students to air their grievances.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=30231
RUPIAH BANDA, ACC, WYNTER KABIMBA,
MPs to decide Rupiah's fate
By Kombe Chimpinde and Roy Habaalu
Mon 11 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT
RUPIAH Banda's refusal to comply with the invitation by the ACC for an interview leaves the government with no choice but to go to Parliament and ask the House to lift his immunity and decide his fate, says Wynter Kabimba.
And chief Chisunka of Luapula Province says Parliament should prioritise the lifting of Rupiah Banda's immunity in order to afford Zambians an opportunity to know the extent of the destruction he caused them.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday summoned Banda for an interview relating to allegations of corruption and other criminal activities during his presidency but the former head of state declined, claiming immunity from prosecution.
Kabimba, who is justice minister, said in an interview that the summoning of Banda by ACC was neither academic nor a violation of the Constitution.
He said Banda's immunity prescribed in Article 43 (3) of the Constitution touched on the issue of prosecution and not investigation, which required one to be summoned for interrogations by the investigative wings.
"Where does the Constitution say ACC cannot call you for enquiry before that (removal of immunity) is done? It does not say that. Yes, the former president has a right not to say anything or attend the interview at all," Kabimba said.
"If you remember in 1992, the state agencies went to search Dr Kaunda at Dr Kaunda's home. That was an investigation and Dr Kaunda did not plead immunity. So the immunity is against prosecution. The immunity is not against investigation. So the journalists must understand this clearly, not to get misled by all these comments."
Kabimba said the immunity was against prosecution and so the ACC had the mandate to establish a case against Banda.
"You cannot be prosecuted unless your immunity is lifted by Parliament; that is what the law says. You can even be charged, what you cannot do is prosecute. To be charged is not the same as to be prosecuted. The Constitution says you shall not be prosecuted; it does not say you shall not be charged for any civil or criminal wrong that you did during the time when you were head of state," Kabimba said.
"The ACC was saying to Mr Banda, 'come here because according to our investigations, there are issues we would like to clarify with you'.
Now you cannot claim immunity against that. He Banda misapplied the issue of his immunity. Now that he has been given an opportunity to go to the ACC for him to go and answer questions and without submitting to the ACC, he has pleaded immunity, we have no choice now but to take the matter to Parliament so that his immunity against prosecution can be lifted, so this is not an academic exercise."
Kabimba said the government would ensure that Banda is absorbed only through the due process of the law.
He said ACC was not guilty of anything in inviting Banda for and interview.
"ACC was not saying to him 'we are coming to arrest you'. ACC was asking him to go and clarify certain issues which were under investigation by ACC. Even if the ACC had established a case against him at that stage, they would not have arrested him; they would have charged him," Kabimba said.
"All I can tell you is that we shall go all the way to ensure that Mr Banda is absorbed through the due process of the law and also inform the people of Zambia about this matter. We're obliged to inform the public about the status of this situation," he said.
And chief Chisunka said lifting Banda's immunity would avail Zambians an opportunity to know how much damage and suffering he had caused the people.
"When Parliament resumes, they should first consider lifting the immunity of Mr Rupiah Banda. There was too much corruption at that time and people were suffering when he and his close associates were dinning with the corrupt. There is nothing personal, all we want is people to know how much crime he committed and those that benefited should be held accountable and pay back what they got," said chief Chisunka in an interview.
"People expect a lot from PF and they should not be seen to be protecting the corrupt and powerful. People know that Mr Rupiah Banda amassed a lot of wealth within a short period and all we want is for him to explain how this was possible and if he's found not to have stolen, well and good but if he has a case, which I don't doubt he has, let the law take its course. There is no persecution. Ba (Frederick) Chiluba was prosecuted, what's so special about ba Rupiah? He's my friend but unfortunately he ignored my advice."
In April last year, Chisunka likened Rupiah to a monkey in a maize field.
Later Banda's lawyers from Central Chambers sued chief Chisunka, claiming damages for defamation and libel over two articles that were published in The Post that he had stolen a lot of money. However, Banda later withdrew the case.
Labels: STUDENTS, UNSAZU
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City University students demand refunds
By Namatama Mundia
Sun 27 Jan. 2013, 11:10 CAT
STUDENTS at City University have demanded to be refunded their monies after their institution was declared illegal by the General Nursing Council.
The students accused MMD vice-president for administration Dr Brian Chituwo of running an illegal nursing school.
The students, who stormed The Post Newspaper offices yesterday, said the General Nursing Council (GNC) last week told them that the university was illegal because it had not been registered by the council, the regulator of nursing schools in the country.
"The City University students were shocked to learn that after paying over KR6,000 per student as tuition fees, our institution is illegal. When officials from the General Nursing Council came to address us, to our surprise all lecturers ran away," said one of the students' representatives.
The students said the university, situated at former Precem Motel in Kabangwe area, was run by Dr Chituwo and Dr Patrick Chanda.
They appealed to President Michael Sata to help them recover the money they paid to the institution.
Efforts to get Dr Brian Chituwo, whom the students claimed was the owner of the university, proved futile as his phone went unanswered.
And a GNC officer, who was among officers who went to address the students, refused to give any information.
Labels: BRIAN CHITUWO, CITY UNIVERSITY, MMD, STUDENTS
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Unzasu welcomes students' loan Facility
By Lovely Kayombo
Mon 18 June 2012, 13:22 CAT
UNIVERSITY of Zambia Students' Union president Ali Tunkara has welcomed the government's decision to introduce the loan facility, saying it will rid of the corruption that characterised the acquisition of a bursary for study at the institution.
Education minister Dr John Phiri says the government will soon phase out the bursary scheme for higher learning institutions because of serious flaws in the way the current scheme is being administered.
Dr Phiri said the bursary scheme would be replaced with a students' loan scheme which would compel beneficiaries to pay back after completion of their tertiary education.
He said the current bursary system does not meet the expectations of the general public and does not benefit vulnerable students.
But Tunkara advised the government to find strategies that would allow students to repay the loans.
He said the loan would make students focus more on academic issues rather than activities that bring anarchy because they would realise that at the end of their training they willhave to pay back the loan.
"Most students will actually have access to the loans unlike what has been happening previously, where a few had access to the bursary scheme not only here at UNZA but also students from colleges that have been upgraded like Evelyn Hone College, NIPA and NRDC...there is a lot of corruption in the administering of these bursaries. You find that one who has both parents is given 100 per cent bursary while the one with no parents will be given nothing at all," he said.
"So we are going to have a situation where we are going to be responsible youths that are going to concentrate more on academics unlike indulging in activities that will result in anarchy. We have realised that most of the students that demonstrate are actually those that are on bursary and they know that they will be back even if the institution is closed down."
Meanwhile, the University of Zambia Council's ad hoc committee on students loan chairperson Dr Euston Chiputa said the loan would be guided by an Act of Parliament which would be tabled at the next sitting of Parliament.
"There will be an Act of Parliament and a stakeholders' meeting has been called by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Justice to discuss the bill and finalise on the modalities," said Dr Chiputa
Labels: LOANS, STUDENTS, UNZASU
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Zimbabwe student shot, killed by US cops
Grief ... Teenager's dad Mabasa Nhekairo speaking to US TV station over shooting
28/03/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
A NAKED man fatally shot by police in the US state of Georgia on Tuesday night has been named as 18-year-old Zimbabwean, Tendai Nelson Nhekairo.
Cobb County police say they responded to reports of a man shooting a gun at an apartment complex off Shadowood Parkway around 7.40PM. Officers turned up to be confronted by a naked man armed with two knives, a spokesman said.
Sgt. Dana Pierce of the Cobb County Police Department told local television:
“He made an aggressive movement towards those officers and unfortunately those officers had to use what means was necessary to stop that aggressive act.”
Nhekairo was a student at nearby Campbell High School, reported Channel 2 Action News.
The teenager’s mother, Blessed, and father, Mabasa Nhekairo, said they had never seen their son behave violently and knew of no mental health problems he may have had. They admitted they were having a hard time believing what police are saying.
"I don't know what happened on Tuesday night, but what I do know is that my son did not have any violent tendencies," the senior Nhekairo said.
He said Tendai was a keen American football player and looked forward to graduating from High School. Channel 2 Action News, meanwhile, reported the teenager had been arrested recently for possession of marijuana off campus.
The officer involved in the shooting, whose name has not been released, has been placed on routine administrative leave, Sgt. Pierce said.
Labels: POLICE BRUTALITY, STUDENTS, USA
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Kaingu's daughter turns porn star
By Allan Mulenga, Kombe Chimpinde and Salim Dawood
Sat 19 Nov. 2011, 12:30 CAT
ZCAS has expelled Michael Kaingu's daughter, Iris, over a lurid sex video she appears in. And police in Lusaka have launched investigations into the matter where Iris appears with her partner who is also a ZCAS student.
Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies (ZCAS) executive director Dr Yejju Gouthama Rao confirmed that the known students had been expelled from the college. Dr. Rao, who could not delve into the matter for fear of jeopardising police investigations, said the students' conduct had dented the image of the institution.
"Actually, my colleague is at Central Police station for questioning now yesterday , so we are waiting for him and I think at this stage we don't want to say anything. Once everything is clear we will issue an official statement. No, I don't want to comment on anything in any way because you see the issue at hand here is sensitive," he said. "What is true is that two students have been expelled and it was done the day we heard about it last week. But, otherwise the matter is being investigated."
Dr. Rao explained that management decided to expel the students for bringing the name of the institution into disrepute.
"Usually, I don't know really what to say because as much as we love the press freedom, certain things are usually misquoted to make it spicy. We are an institution of repute and for us to continue with that reputation we have to focus on our core business. I mean anything that is not desirable, naturally it will have an impact. Of course the impact might vary depending on the type of information that is being circulated,´´ said Dr. Rao.
Both police and Kaingu confirmed the matter in separate interviews.
Police spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela said the Lusaka police division had moved in on the matter based on rumours that a pornographic video was circulating on the Internet.
"I need to get confirmation on the number of people implicated because no public complaint has been made. We decided to move in and do our own investigations ," said Kanjela.
And when contacted Kaingu, who is former community development minister, affirmatively confirmed being the father of Iris, but could not give further details saying: "Yes she is my daughter."
Kaingu's daughter Iris and her boyfriend whose name we could not confirm, both students at ZCAS, allegedly produced a pornographic video of their sex romp currently circulating on the Internet.
The 16-minute clip is a graphic sexual thriller of Iris and her boy friend attempting professional porn-style feats.
The amateur-shot video has the two in a dimly-lit room with nothing else pictured besides them going through a routine of myriad sexual positions with their nude bodies clearly visible.
The video starts with the naked duo fondling on a college-style single bed and Iris' face comes up, face up performing oral sex on her boyfriend who is kneeling over her abdomen.
After performing oral sex on her partner, Iris reaches out for some juice by the bed side as if to sooth her throat before resuming the rest of the orgy.
Though the couple seems to be conversing throughout the lurid sexual marathon, their conversation is not audible as the video's sound has been faded out with background music.
The amateurish video whose production is credited to ZCAS and titled 'Naughty college girl Iris likes Dark N lovely' on http://www.xvideos.com/video1522636/00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 predominantly features Iris' face and which becomes even more vivid when she performs a close to 2 minute oral sex with her partner.
In the video, the couple attempt various positions including some that resemble olympic-style acrobatics.
Towards the end, Iris slides to the side of the bed and while covering her chest with her right hand, looks into the camera thereby limiting any chance of mistaken identity.
The video has enjoyed widespread viewing in neighbouring Evelyn Hone College of Applied Arts and Commerce, National Institute of Public Administration and other colleges.
Labels: MICHAEL KAINGU, STUDENTS
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Vicious racist attack blinds Zim PHD student
11/11/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
A DUBLIN man has been jailed for a vicious racist assault on a Zimbabwean PhD student which left him permanently disfigured and blind in one eye.
Luke Casey, 25, beat Mapfumo Chidzambwa, 30, with a hurley while his co-accused, Stephen Mooney, 24, struck his head a number of times with a golf club, breaking the unarmed victim's facial bones and sinking his right eye into its socket.
Witnesses to the assault later told police that Mooney could be heard shouting "Do you want to see me crack a n****r's skull?" Mooney was jailed for four years last July.
Casey was jailed for three years and nine months by Judge Patricia Ryan after she twice emphasized that the maximum penalty available to the court was five years.
She said she had to reduce the sentence on the basis of Casey's guilty plea and also took into account the State's evidence that it was Mooney who had inflicted the serious injuries and who had instigated the attack.
Both men pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Chidzambwa causing him harm and criminal damage of two cars in the early hours of 1 October, 2006.
Detectives said Mooney and Casey had been at the same house party as Chidzambwa in Clondalkin, a suburb located some 10 km west of Dublin, along with a number of Zimbabwean nationals.
Mooney was asked to leave after he made unwelcome advances to a number of the women at the gathering. He took exception to this and both he and Casey damaged a number of vehicles that were parked outside the house.
The party-goers went out to investigate but Chidzambwa was heading for home with his uncle when he was set upon.
Chidzambwa had moved to Ireland from Zimbabwe in 2001 to study electronic engineering at the University College of Dublin. He was studying for a PhD in wireless communication at the time of the attack.
His victim impact report stated that he had to live with the horror of the assault on a daily basis and is reminded of it every time he sees his facial scars whenever he passes a reflective surface.
Chidzambwa said he had to take a year out from his doctorate studies and when he returned there was no longer funding available and he was forced to scale down to a Masters Degree.
He said he has since had to "scavenge" for jobs that are meant for people with disabilities and he feels intimidated seeking jobs like cleaning and waiting tables to help his finances because he believes employers may be prejudiced.
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"All the dreams I had have vanished and all the aspirations I had were snatched away by a golf club," Chidzambwa said.
Chidzambwa told the court at Mooney's sentence hearing that he had struggled financially from when he started college but the scholarship had given him a "glimmer of hope" and he had believed his financial future would be bright.
Since the attack he gets headaches, his injuries have inhibited his working ability and his concentration has suffered.
He added that the loans he has accumulated to a total €20,000 are like a noose around his neck.
"If I hadn't suffered the vicious attack, my prospects would be different," he said.
He said he had to stop participating in all physical sports, he can only sleep on one side and though doctors managed to seal leaking spinal fluid after the attack, he now can't do any strenuous activity.
Doctors have also advised him against taking flights because of potential aneurysms and the heat in Africa causes headaches, which means he cannot enjoy a trip home.
He added that he has become a loner and must live with the attack for the rest of his life.
Labels: EU, RACISM, STUDENTS
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Mumbi lambastes timing of student allowances raise
By Kombe Chimpinde
Sat 02 July 2011, 04:01 CAT
It is very foolish for Dora Siliya and President Rupiah Banda to think that increasing allowances will hoodwink students into voting for MMD, says a parliamentarian. And UNZALARU says that the decision by the government to increase students’ allowances is a
political gimmick.
Mumbi Phiri, who is member of parliament for Munali Constituency where the University of Zambia falls, said it was MMD’s tired and failed practice of raising various allowances for students in an election year.
“Government only increases allowances of students, only when there are elections. As the minister admittedly said, the last increment was in 2008,” said Phiri in an interview.
“We are all aware that 2008 was a year of elections, the other one was done in 2001 and 2006. Those are all election years. So President Banda and Dora Siliya should not think we are in the old Germany where Hitler (Adolf) was using propaganda to win support.”
Mumbi said Zambians and students in particular, were now aware of the MMDs’ trickery and that they would not fall them.
“Now even people in far-flung areas are educated and aware. They know the problems obtaining in the country so nobody can be fooled,” Phiri said.
And Phiri expressed disgust at a comment made by Siliya that parents must plan their families to avoid having children they could not afford to take care of. Siliya said this when she toured the Copperbelt University recently where she made the announcements on the meal, book and project allowances for students at the two biggest learning institutions in the country.
“It’s a very big insult for Dora (Siliya) to come out and start telling Zambians to plan their families. Is it her burden if people have 10 children? She (Dora) should just pray that God gives her a husband who can give her more children if she so wishes,” Phiri said.
“Let her not interfere in other people’s families. We have very educated ministers who have a lot of children in her Cabinet. Is there anything wrong with that? Can we (Zambians) say they do not know how to plan?”
She warned Dora to desist from insulting the integrity of Zambians.
“It’s a shame that we have women with such behaviours when the country is fighting for 30 per cent women representation in positions of decision making,” said Phiri.
University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) secretary general Jason Mwanza said that the move to selectively address the challenges at the institution was politically motivated.
“They (MMD government) want to gain political mileage. They want to be seen to be doing good but as a government they should be seen to be doing good at all times. Government has responsibilities over its citizens and these should be constant without variations,” Mwanza said.
“The past four or five years the University has not had the liberty to negotiate freely for emoluments and gratuities. We have always had a wage gap. For instance the past two years, the budget for the universities has not been increased.”
He complained that there were no indications of a likelihood of government adjusting their benefits.
“This is a potential receipt for anarchy. We do appreciate that allowances for students have increased and particularly the project allowances. The students indeed have had hardships but you see the hand to assist has come too late and at an awkward time, when the needs of their parents, the lecturers are not being addressed,” said Mwanza.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DORA SILIYA, MUMBI PHIRI, STUDENTS, UNZALARU
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Habasonda demands govt explanation over student’s death in Russia
By Florence Bupe and Chibaula Silwamba
Sat 10 Apr. 2010, 04:01 CAT
SOUTHERN African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) executive director Lee Habasonda has demanded that the government give a comprehensive explanation into the death of Lance Mate, a Zambian student in Russia. But Russian Ambassador to Zambia Boris Malakhov said the death of Mate was an isolated case.
Commenting on the matter, Habasonda said the government could not afford to continue downplaying the suffering and loss of lives of Zambian students abroad at the hands of racists.
“Our government should ensure that they get to the bottom of what happened regarding our student in Russia. Being lukewarm about the issue in the name of diplomatic etiquette will not help anyone,” he said.
Habasonda said it was not worth it for the Zambian government to continue being passive when innocent lives were being lost just because the country gets some form of donor aid from Russia.
“It’s apparent that the matter is not being picked up rigorously by government. People deserve to be told what happened, we are getting concerned with our people’s welfare in that country,” he said.
Habasonda challenged the Zambian Embassy in Russia to take the matter seriously.
“I wonder whether we even have an Embassy in Russia. That office should be taking this matter more seriously than they are. What happened is unacceptable and should not be allowed to recur,” said Habasonda.
Mate, 21, went missing in the Russian city of Kazan on November 6, 2009 and his body was only discovered on April 4, 2010 in the local Kazanka River.
He was last seen alive with friends around 04:00 a.m leaving a nightclub on Balmon Street.
Surveillance cameras had earlier captured Mate being beaten by a native Russian but local Police claim the assailant left the Zambian student, who ‘went in an unknown direction’ and disappeared.
Foreign affairs acting permanent secretary Alfred Chunda, who once served in the Russian diplomatic service, admitted that racism was strife in that country and advised Zambian students going to study there to exercise care.
“I personally demand that I talk to Zambian students intending to study in Russia on the dangers they are likely to face. It is true that there are high levels of racism, and during my stay there I actually brought back bodies of two Zambian students who were killed,” said Chunda.
And in an interview following the retrieval of Mate’s body, Ambassador Malakhov said the first examination of Mate’s body showed no signs of physical violence but a criminal case had been opened with suspicion that it was murder.
“We regret very much and we express our deepest sympathy to the parents, relatives and friends. We believe that this case will not be repeated. As you know, nowadays all foreign students are very safe in Russia and such cases are very rare. If there is anyone guilty about this case, if there are killers our justice will find them and punish them according to the law,” Ambassador Malakhov said.
When asked further about the growing fear among Zambians that Russia was unsafe for African students, Zambians in particular, Ambassador Malakhov argued that Russia was safe for foreigners.
“I don’t think that you are right. There is no fear among those who want to go to Russia. To tell you, we provide, starting this year 103 scholarships to Zambian students to go to Russia and there are more than 1,500 applicants and the candidates for bursaries are selected by the bursaries committee of the Ministry of Education of Zambia. There is a great number of those who want to go to Russia. There is no sense of fear,” Ambassador Malakhov said.
He said the fact that some Zambian students were on self-sponsorship studies in Russia meant that they wanted that country’s education.
“There are no fears and quite justifiably because there must not be any fear because such accidents happen to Russian citizens because crime still exists in Russia as in every other country there are criminals which have to be either prevented from killing or severely punished for the death of innocent people,” said Ambassador Malakhov.
Labels: LEE HABASONDE, RACISM, RUSSIA, STUDENTS
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Malela, Kitwe Boys school authorities punish pupils for flashing red cards
By Kabanda Chulu and Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 19 Mar. 2010, 07:30 CAT
SCHOOL authorities at Malela and Kitwe Boys high schools have punished more than 11 pupils for flashing red cards and raising the PF’s clenched fist during Youth Day commemorations last week.
A check at Malela High School on Tuesday found the 11 pupils - seven girls and four boys - digging two rubbish pits as punishment that was slapped on them by the school authorities for allegedly supporting Change Life Zambia Fr Frank Bwalya’s red card campaign and being members of the PF.
One of the affected pupils talked to revealed that they were sent away from class by the school authorities around 08:00 hours and were given a case of misconduct after they flashed red cards and raised a PF symbol during a march past at Kitwe’s City Square during the commemoration of Youth Day that was graced by Kitwe District commissioner McDonald Mtine.
“We’re digging these two pits because the school authorities suspect we are supporters of PF and that we were supporting Fr Bwalya’s message and his red card campaign during Youth Day commemorations at City Square. Am disappointed with these people because despite being a pupil here, I have a right to support a grouping of my choice. Am 18 and am completing grade 12 this year, so supporting PF or the red card campaign is none of their business,” said one of the pupils.
And at Kitwe Boys High School, reliable sources revealed that the pupils who were suspected to have raised the PF symbol during the youth day march past were given ‘Call Your Parents’ (CP) notes and were later punished for misbehaving.
Kitwe Boys High School head teacher a Mr Mulandu refused to comment on the matter and referred all queries to the office of the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS), who also referred queries to Mtine.
When contacted, Mtine initially said he was not aware of the punishments being meted on the pupils.
“The DEBS has not gotten back to me over those issues, so I am not aware of what is happening in education circles here.
What I know is that the pupils were made to do what they were not supposed to do by some people but I made it clear even in my speech which you The Post covered adequately, and I am grateful for that, that young people should not be used by politicians as tools of violence,” said Mtine.
Labels: FREEDOM OF SPEECH, RED CARD CAMPAIGN, STUDENTS
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Mercenary, corrupt students
By The Post
Mon 15 Mar. 2010, 04:10 CAT
HONESTY and integrity are increasingly becoming rare commodities in our country and among our people. And those who possess these commodities have something more valuable than gold, diamonds and all these other highly valued things.
One can’t go wrong with honesty and integrity. Of course, like everything else that is valuable there’s a high price to be paid for being honest and for having integrity in one’s life and dealings. But it is a price that is paid for something of extremely high value, something very valuable and durable. It is a price worth paying.
And in this sense it is very important for our young people to appreciate the importance of incorruptibility as part of the essence of self-respect. The advice Duncan Nyirongo, the outgoing University of Zambia Students Union president is giving to those who are going to succeed him is of extremely great value and must be heeded.
Those who can be hired by politicians with deep pockets and used like mercenaries in their political campaigns do not deserve the respect of anyone and will never be respected by anyone, including those who have hired them. Dogs hired to go and bark at someone will never be respected; they will remain nothing but hired dogs.
Students and other young people, all over the world, have an important role to play in the affairs of their communities, nations and countries. All over the world, it is students and other young people who are actually involved in the struggle to eliminate oppression, exploitation, tyranny, dictatorships, corruption, abuse of power and other injustices.
They are the ones who most quickly identify with the struggle and the necessity to eliminate the unjust, unfair and inhuman conditions that exist. And for this reason, students and other young people who are concerned with the affairs of their community, nation and country deserve respect and support.
If one is not moved by injustice when they are students, when they are young, quite early in their lives, they will never be in a position to be moved with indignation when they witness such evils later on in their lives.
If one is not a revolutionary or a progressive person in his student days, in his days as a youth, he will never be a revolutionary or a progressive in his later years. If one is insensitive to injustice, to the crimes committed against other people as a student, as a young person, they will continue to be indifferent to the plight of others in their later years. For this reason, students and other young people should be encouraged and allowed to be very revolutionary, very progressive in their early years or else, they will never be good citizens.
Our young people should not be taught or encouraged to be indifferent to the suffering of fellow human beings, fellow citizens. Of course, we say this bearing in mind that indifference can be tempting – more than that, seductive. It is so much easier to look away from victims. It is so much easier to avoid such rude interruptions to our work, our dreams, our hopes.
It is, after all, awkward, troublesome, to be involved in another person’s pain and despair. Yet, for the person who is indifferent, his or her neighbours are of no consequence. And, therefore, their lives are meaningless. Their hidden or visible anguish is of no interest. What matters is what one gets; what is his or her cut in it.
If they have to join a cause, a struggle, they have to be hired and be paid by someone in the same way mercenaries are recruited and engaged. Indifference reduces the other to an abstraction. In a way, to be indifferent to the suffering of others is what makes the human being inhuman. Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred. Anger can sometimes be creative.
One does something special for the sake of others because one is angry at the injustice that one witnesses. But indifference is never creative. Even hatred at times may elicit a response. You fight it; you denounce it; you disarm it. Indifference elicits no response. Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end. And for this reason indifference always benefits evil and wrongdoers and never the victim of injustice.
It is for these reasons that we urge our students and other young people to be quickly moved with indignation whenever an injustice is committed against anyone in this country, against anyone in the world wherever they may be and whoever they may be. This type of thing cannot be done by students and other young people who are mercenaries for hire by political opportunists and other evil and corrupt elements. This requires a high level of honesty and integrity among our students and other young people.
It is evil to abuse students and other young people by corrupting them with money and other benefits to obtain their political support and youthful militant action required in election campaigns.
The fact that university students in this country can be hired to support greedy and unscrupulous politicians is a testimony to an unfinished job. The rewards of independence and democracy must be measured by the dignity, happiness and welfare of our students, of all our young people. There can be no keener revelation of our nation’s soul than the way in which we treat our young people. We say this because the true character of a nation is revealed in how it treats its young people.
It is important for our young people to realise that there are no durable benefits in accepting to be bribed, to be corrupted, to be abused by crooked politicians. Their participation in the politics of our country should be something that arises from their own consciousness; from their own understanding of what is going on in their country. One of the first things our students and other young people should learn how to do is to see things for themselves, listen for themselves and think for themselves and then act on the basis of this. In this way, they will come to an intelligent decision for themselves; they will not be manipulated and in this way they will maintain their honesty and integrity.
And with this, they will win their respect because no one respects a hired mercenary, no one respects someone who has accepted to be bribed or to be manipulated. Respect, relationships, serious analysis and understanding are only possible among people who are honest with themselves and with others. And if you are honest, truly honest, you won’t be corrupted, you won’t be bribed, you won’t be manipulated and be hired to support unscrupulous and corrupt politicians. If you have a clear understanding of the worth of people and of yourself as a student, as a young person, you won’t be corrupted. There’s need for all our students to heed the advice of Nyirongo and maintain eternal vigilance about this at all times.
We have more respect for a person who is honest, who is not manipulated, who is not hired by anyone but is acting out of personal convictions, one who lets us know where he or she stands, even if he or she is wrong, than one who comes up like an angel when he is nothing but a devil.
Every time you let someone stand on your head and make decisions for you, manipulate you and pay you to do what he wants and you don’t do anything about it, you are not acting with intelligence and should not be on this planet and you won’t be on it very long either.
Our students and other young people should realise that corrupt politicians are very good at manipulation and deceit. They make you think they are very kind, generous and loving people so much that they make you think they are angels when they are nothing other than sinful little ogres. Yes, we understand the desperation of some of our students and other young people and their urgent need for money. But please, don’t rely on dishonest money; it will do you no good on that day of disaster. Stand up for what is right even if it costs you your life. Nothing that comes from bribery or injustice will last. Money that has been obtained dishonestly is like a stream that runs full during a thunderstorm, tumbling rocks along as it flows, but then suddenly goes dry. Acts of honesty and integrity are as lasting as eternity.
We need young people to actively and consciously participate in the politics of our country because this country is theirs, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is theirs. Our hope is placed on them. The world belongs to them.
Zambia’s future belongs to them. Bribing them, manipulating them, deceiving them should be considered a very serious crime because it does not only jeopardise their future but that of the nation as a whole.
Labels: CADRES, STUDENTS
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Nyirongo warns incoming UNZASU against selling out to politicians
By Sydney Mungala
Mon 15 Mar. 2010, 08:10 CAT
OUTGOING University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) president Duncan Nyirongo has said politicians take advantage of the students’ vulnerability in abusing them. Nyirongo advised candidates standing for union presidency to guard against political forces that may want to sponsor candidates to advance their interests.
“One foolish thing is that these politicians will always use the poverty that they have created to champion their cause. They will always promise candidates of employment after they graduate from UNZA, but they would not get to do so because they would have known one’s weakness,” Nyirongo said.
He said as politicians geared for the 2011 elections, UNZASU would be a prime target for manipulation.
Nyirongo said during his tenure, there were politicians who worked hard to win him over through corrupt means but he stood his ground.
“2011 will be a national election year, and assembling of campaign teams by various political parties is already underway. UNZASU is always the prime target of many politicians as they are aware of the driving force imbedded in it,” Nyirongo said.
“Many political parties will try to sponsor candidates standing for various positions in the union so that when elected to the executive, they would be used to champion the party’s agenda. I, therefore, urge all the aspiring candidates to prove their integrity even in the run-up to the elections, which are scheduled for the 25th March, 2010. I have had pressure from politicians who wanted to work with me, but with time, the gravity of this pressure reduced as many of them got to prove my immunity to political manipulation.”
Nyirongo advised the youth to set high leadership standards for themselves.
“My advice to students, the youth, and the rest of the Zambians is to set standards for the kind of leadership we want for the country. It breaks my heart to see the same poor people being paraded to sing praises for former leaders that inflicted economic pain on them. These are the same leaders that went to an extent of manipulating constitutions for the sake of prolonging their stay in office,” he said.
Nyirongo added: “Imagine how disciplined the current leadership would have been if they knew for sure that Zambians would shun them if they abused the authority vested in them, if they knew that Zambians would vote them out if they fail to live up to their promises.”
Nyirongo also warned leaders hoping to count on corrupt UNZASU support to be wary of weaker elements that may even weaken them.
“If one could be paid to weaken UNZASU, what will stop them from receiving money in exchange of sensitive information at State House? You may wonder how sensitive information leaks from these government departments. It is due to such people that lack any moral fibre,” he said.
Nyirongo said he was not in the habit of seeking favours and had no worries about his future as he had provided honest leadership.
“I am confident that though I am yet to be employed or be self-employed, after I graduate in May this year, my job prospects are brighter. Hard work can take you to the helm of success, but only integrity will keep you afloat,” said Nyirongo.
Labels: CADRES, DUNCAN NYIRONGO, STUDENTS, UNZASU
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Solwezi pupils riot after truck kills grade 12 girl, leaves 6 injured
By David Chongo in Solwezi
Sat 06 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
A Solwezi Technical High School Grade 12 has died while six others are nursing injuries after a Toyota light truck registration number ACJ 7115 belonging to JC Bousfield of Chingola rammed into them as they were on a road run along Kansanshi Road near Kansanshi Mine main gate.
Meanwhile, police led by North Western Province commanding officer Fabian Katiba, had to be swiftly deployed to the school to cordon off the area and quell the disturbance in which five JCB trucks including the van that had hit the pupils were extensively damaged.
The trucks with damaged windscreens, deflated tires, smashed head lights and indicators and shattered side mirrors, were all stoned in front of the school as the passed.
The deceased girl, Beatrice Malisawa, was part of a group of pupils who had left the school around 04:00hours on a road run to prepare for inter-house athletics for the upcoming provincial inter schools event in March.
According to Treaty Lupeto, one of the pupils admitted to the hospital, the incident happened when one of the girls fainted and a group of colleagues surrounded her to try and help her into a vehicle the pupils had asked help from to ferry their friend back to school.
Treaty narrated that in the process they saw a light truck from about 10 metres flashing headlights in full beam heading towards the mine.
“When we were helping our friend who had fainted somewhere about 200 metres from the Kansanshi main boom (main entrance), we just saw a vehicle approaching our direction with headlights in full beam. The lights were flashed suddenly from about 10 meters, so we had little time to move, because if we had seen the lights from a good distance we could have stayed away. So this vehicle came and hit into us. Myself, I was not hit directly but I fell from the impact of the vehicle on others”, he said.
He added that after the accident, the driver of the vehicle ran away, but left the van with a running engine. The pupils then reorganised themselves and put their injured friends in the van and one of them then drove it to the hospital (which is within 2 kilometres) on the same road as the school before driving back to the school.
One teacher, who sought anonymity and was present at the time the pupils returned from the hospital, said the students then brought the light truck into the school premises and started stoning it while others wanted to set it ablaze.
They then decided to move it out and parked it across the road, blocking traffic from both sides.
It was at this point that they started stoning the loaded trucks coming from Kansanshi mine.
Initially, the pupils had resorted to only stoning vehicles belonging to JCB, in the process sparing a FQM bus, ABL 6517 which eventually got stuck on the side track after the driver took flight and bolted to avoid the rampaging pupils.
But after calm had, apparently, been restored around 08:00 hours, another group of pupils mobilised themselves in the school football pitch, went behind the school and ambushed a First Quantum Minerals bus, ABL 6495 with mine workers on it near Mushitala Basic School, smashing almost all the windows.
Police had to fire warning shots and teargas to disperse the pupils.
And police have instituted investigations to identify the ringleaders of the riot that ensued after the accident.
Labels: SOLWEZI COUNCIL, STUDENTS
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Chanco petition on quota system
By Nyasa Times
Published: October 24, 2009
INTRODUCTION:As the legitimate and patriotic sons and daughters of the Republic of Malawi, we the concerned students of Chancellor College, The University of Malawi would like to renew our stand against quota system-cum-equitable access to higher education.
It is in the interest of justice, fairness, peace, unity, transparency and harmony in our beloved country that we have thought it prudent to jot this petition on behalf of all patriotic and sober-minded Malawians.
Our gesture of foresight needs to be construed as a venture aimed at upholding the integrity of UNIMA and should be interpreted as an endeavor destined to culminate in rationality, transparency, wisdom and intellectualism that bring orderliness and hence national development can easily be realized.
Driven by patriotic impetus, we object at lobbying a bifocal perspective into the meritocracy vs. quota system selection into UNIMA saga – after all it is our constitutional right and above all else an exercise of our unequivocal freedom of opinion and expression.We realize that no ideology is blemishless as the architects of the same are just humans who are not omniscient. We also know from history that quota system was there during Kamuzu Banda’s era but had to be kicked out due to its inefficiencies.
In view of this, we strongly hold that if the origin of meritocracy was due to the disadvantages of quota system then we will join hands with all stakeholders and focus in the same direction in a bid to oppose the abrupt re-introduction of quota system.Furthermore, unless thorough analysis and wide consultations are done, an impromptu re-introduction of quota system is a non-starter because it aims at treating the symptom rather than the cause of the disease. This poses a threat to the already sick education sector.
Moreover, the delay in releasing University Entrance Examination is a blow to the deformed academic calendar of the university’s constituent colleges. For instance, Bunda College is about months into the new academic year but without first year students on campus.In essence, we are disillusioned with and disappointed by Government authorities, who act from their cocoons, advocating for an impromptu re-introduction of quota system at the expense of meritocracy without a thorough consideration of the consequences of such a blatant policy shift.
Chancellor College as a mouthpiece of justice and custodian of intellectualism, the concerned students find silence at this critical moment inconvenient and uncalled for. We believe that silence and inaction in the face of yesterday’s challenges are responsible for the anomalies we see across the educational sector in our beloved state.
As such, we do not seek to play the usual game of just listing the problems but join our voices with that of professional people who give their ears to what happens on the ground, who listen to people, observe, analyze and chart the way forward that takes the reality into account of what is really missing. We, therefore, call all partners in the educational sector to consider the common good over personal fears and greed.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST QUOTA SYSTEM
We observe that neither meritocracy nor quota system is the right dosage to the ailment(s) in the nation’s educational sector. However, the devil you know is better than the angel you do not know. We realize that the significant problems we have in the area of access to higher education cannot be solved at the level of thinking with which they were created.It is very unfortunate that the government is quite fighting a hide and seeks game on issue of quota system.
The whole of last year the government kept quiet after the system was challenged, only to impose it on the UNIMA authorities at the time of selection this year. We thought the best way would have been giving the citizens of this nation enough time to access, evaluate, analyze and scrutinize the pros and cons of the system and see whether it would be worthy implementing. In fact, the process and speed with which quota system issue is handled compel any rational being to suspect sinister motives behind the scenes.Paradoxically, the same Government authorities have come out of blues, imposing the retrogressive system.
By virtue of such demonstrated conduct, and unless they come in the open and spell out their rationale for advocating for this system yet they have not put up the necessary structures on which system will be premised and how it will address the unjustness of current merit system. Thus, we will remain and live to question the intellectuality of some of the personalities.Some people have argued that quota system basing on the district of origin is a solution towards increasing access to higher education and equity to distribution of resources.
Such thinking is certainly simplifying a rather complex issue and a naked attempt to hide the dirty linen that surrounds tertiary education in this country. Such kind of idea/opinion is a fallacy and must not be tolerated.Nobody can contest the acknowledgement that there is discrepancy in resource distribution as far as education is concerned. The inequality is manifested in geographical location whereby rural schools have relatively limited learning and teaching materials as compared with urban schools.Besides, regardless of district of location, some schools (national secondary schools) are better off in all aspects than CDSS’s. Furthermore, some well established Private Schools and high schools can not be matched in all spheres with the so many mushrooming briefcase Private Schools.
All this attests to the fact that inequality in access to higher education is woven in the limited access to quality secondary school education in due respect to the specific secondary school one attended rather than the district of origin from which one comes or attends his/her education.Quota system, if not handled properly as is the current scenario, will just plunge our country into intellectual debility and national division as it is the case now. The system in itself is politically deceptive, economically fatal and socially disintegrating.
It is in every average person’s domain that there are political, economical, social, religious and cultural differences among Malawians that cordially mix and accord our country “the warm heart of Africa”. This social fabric should be encouraged and cherished and not be made a benchmark of discrimination as far as access to higher education is concerned. Those who are for quota system overlook the fact that development is a process with a starting point but without an end.
Development is not necessarily a government’s value judgment which it imposes upon its people, for it is a well known fact that at times the government can be the main obstacle to development. Notably, for human potential to be realized, people need to be inspired so that they may revamp the potential in them and therefore be mobilized to go through the lane of action that breeds development. However, this cannot be achieved overnight, that is why we are against the impromptu reintroduction of quota system, and in lieu call for sober approach and long term plans to improve equity and access to tertiary education.Even from religious perspective (both Christian and Islamic viewpoint) somebody will land in God’s kingdom based on merit in addition to the grace of God. God does not care where people come from or how they look.
Instead, he minds about the internal being because we are equal in his eyes. Who are we therefore to deviate from meritocracy, it being practiced by our creator? The Holy Quran similarly stipulates that, “a ruler who appoints any man to an office, when there is in his dominion another man better qualified for it, sins against Allah (God) and against the state.”
This is the practice which any just, peace, and unity loving government or state should be following in its policies.Above all, it is a plain point that an efficient system operates with clean and transparent rules. Good governance operates in an environment where laws and administrative practices are known and accessible to all. We, therefore deplore the manner in which the Government wants to impose the infamous quota system. There is the greatest need to employ the empirical approach to discover the realities on the ground by widely consulting relevant quarters.
Further, constitutionally the quota system is discriminatory and grossly violates a student’s right to tertiary education based on equal application of admission criteria as intended in the UNIMA Act Section 111 (5).
It should be stipulated without fear or smug remorse that Government authorities move to impose quota system is a move destined to culminate in breach of peace or stir of public alarm and disorder.The Concerned Chanco students therefore would like to ignite Government’s institutional memory that there is already a high court ruling of 1993 (Mhango and others vs. university council, civil cause No 93 of 1993) against a quota system where some patriotic university students successfully sued UNIMA. Hence, resolving to impose the reintroduction of the system in all livelihood, amounts to contempt of court.Furthermore, it seems some scholars have taken a very long ‘intellectual’ stride towards bastardizing meritocracy while waxing lyrical about quota system. Yet the question still yearns: If quota system is the solution, why use it on a small scale. Why not employ it throughout the selection process? Also one wonders that if the policy is as good as it has been magnified why not universalizing it in all government sectors beginning with the process of electing our state presidents?Again, if quota is to achieve justice by equitably distributing access to higher education how unjust can one say has been the merit system? Who unjustly benefits at the expense of whom under merit system? Risibly, protagonists for quota system argue that university education is a national cake. Really laughable! In our humble understanding, the national cake is the educational resources in the name of books, teachers, and school buildings. These are the resources government has to distribute equitably to various education institutions, starting from primary school and leave its citizens to compete on merit. This is because the quota system is not addressing any problem or injustice, thus not praiseworthy for implementation. For it is very unjust to create access for Peter at the expense of Mary, yet Mary has not sidelined him (Peter) in anyway. The most just, fair and sustainable way of assisting Peter is by accessing and evaluating his problems and finding actual solutions to his problems without necessarily limiting the chances for Mary. This, in our thinking is the track or the route to the palace of justice.The analogy of national cake is misused as if there is a certain group of people who are in control of national cake and deny others a chance to it. Yet, in actual sense, the cake is always in the hands of government and every student is striving for it. Now, if some students are denied this chance based on where they come from, where is justice? We are completely opposed to this fallacious, misleading, sugar-coated analogy.
A story is told. Two students, one from Nsanje and the other from Dowa meet at Box 2 (Dedza Secondary School) They are exposed to equal resources; same environment. They write Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE). The Nsanje student scores 25points and the one from Dowa scores 15 points. Imagine the situation where the quota of the one from Nsanje is full at 26 points while that of a Dowa student is full at 14 points. This means that based on Quota system the Dowa student will be left out while that of Nsanje will have place at the University yet their were at same school exposed to same resources. Where is justice then?
There is yet another glaringly fallacious argument saying every Malawian, from Chitipa to Nsanje, pays tax hence the need to share ‘the limited national cake’.
However, the truth of the matter is that we all have access to this national cake because meritocracy limits no tax payer to have the gate way to university. In fact these people forget one thing: No graduate works in their respective districts. They work in various government departments and non-governmental organizations, companies, with one virtue that defines us; Malawians first. In fact, it is the government that decides how to use tax. Perhaps, that is where quota has to be employed—-because we have seen some districts benefiting in form of road constructions and other infrastructure developments with others still on the waiting list.
RESPONSE ON PRESIDENT’S REMARKS
Your Excellency, our citizen number one, we appreciate that at last you broke the silence on this issue. But, up to now, we are still at pains to come to terms with the fact that you made those remarks with sincerity.
“The university selection system in the country is skewed. It has clearly favoured one region (Northern Region) and we believe it is creating discontent in other areas”. That was what you said your Excellency last Wednesday, as quoted in The Daily Times of October 15, 2009. These are remarks we find morally, intellectually, logically, and factually disparaging, Sir.
For starters, his Excellency just mentioned Northern Region is dominating without asking the obvious question, Why? Surely, by circumventing this question, either intentionally or unintentionally, his remarks spectacularly failed to acknowledge the root cause of the persistent imbalance in the entry to university education. Secondly, by arguing that merit system favours one region (Northern Region) his Excellency seemed to be committing a fallacy. We can’t understand, Sir, that a hard working student who has justly and successfully attained what he/she had been sweating for can be described as ‘favoured’. Or should we conclude that it is a crime to be a hard worker? Or, should we conclude that framers of meritocracy had prejudice against the Central and South in mind?Traditionally, we have believed that even the highest positions in society should be awarded to those who are best qualified. As quoted from above Quran states that a ruler who appoints any man to an office, when there is in his dominion another man better qualified for it, sins against God and against the State. Rewarding excellence both seems just to the individuals in the competition and makes for efficiency. We are made to raise this fact by your Excellency’s statement that the North has dominated for so long that a reverse looks an attractive option. By this, we believe most of the positions you accuse northerners of dominating are occupied on merit and not otherwise. Hence, any assault on merit is never welcome. In fact, if meritocracy is a curse, then quota system is to say the least, a disgraced curse.Again, your Excellency stated that the status quo on the selecting system is creating discontent in other areas. This again seems to be baseless as you fail to indicate what areas are discontented with this. History has it that since the issue was kept to rest in 1993, after the court invalidated it as discriminatory, there has been no conspicuous discontent by a certain area apart from the University Council chairperson and you, your Excellency, prior and post to elections. Malawians peacefully co-existed in the oblivion of the quota saga. In fact, most of us were reminded that the region of origin matters in the university education, just this year when quota system was came in a veil of ‘Equitable access.’ Hence the tense debate on the saga.Further, the first citizen called for a stop on the debate on the quota system describing it as unnecessary and divisive. The president downplays the fact that the very nature of the quota system is itself divisive. It is categorically indisputable that the system has its roots in regionalism. It has sparked debate and is orienting Malawians to regard themselves as Lomwe, Yao, Tumbuka and Chewa, rather than Malawians. The debate on quota cannot be condemned as unnecessary since it is an issue of national interest and hence intensive and sound debate must be condoned to ensure rational decisions that positively affect the peace, development, and economy of the country. It is gullible to suggest that any decision by government must be palatable to everyone.The president argues that the quota system is aimed at increasing equal access to university education. Pleasurable as it may sound, such a postulation leaves a lot to be desired since we do not increase access by robbing something from Jim and give it to Jack but rather by keeping Jim, and increase resources to bring in Jack.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In view of the foregoing, and for the betterment of Malawians, both the current generation and posterity, we would recommend the following:The tactics of seek and hide game within UNIMA as far as selection system is concerned should stop forthwith. Let the entrance examinations be released as soon as possible.That quota system must not be tolerated; in stead there is need to employ a holistic and empirical approach to tackle the problem of equity and access to UNIMA. Research accompanied by wide consultations must be conducted. The research agenda should be designed to uncover and address the needs of the nation and not just for intellectual advancement of some individuals. It is the findings of such a reality digging endeavor that will define the course of action to take.Neither meritocracy nor quota system is perfect on its own. However, the lesser evil is better than the extreme end. Therefore, all stakeholders especially those against the conventionally accepted meritocracy must come out of their shells and present their foreseen merits and demerits of both sides so that the nation can appreciate their pursuit. They should also inform the nation as to who has bemoaned the current meritocracy system and on what basis. Amid scarce resources that fail to cater for insatiable needs of the society, which of course shall always be the case, cost – benefit analysis should be carried and settle for the most productive, efficient and progressive system..It is a reality that access to higher education is limited. Yearly, more than 4000 candidates qualify to be enrolled into UNIMA but only less than 900 have the chance to step into university corridors. The main reason for the same is the limited capacity of our constituent colleges (bed space, limited lecture rooms, inadequate learning and teaching materials like computers, books etc.). A few among those who are left on the residential list are materially blessed and find their way into the university corridor through non-residential ship while others are left stranded in their respective poverty-stricken households.In view of this, the only solution lies in expanding the structures and capacity of UNIMA so that it accommodates all deserving students. However, we acknowledge that this cannot be achieved overnight but it is intellectually upright for Government to be working towards realizing the same rather than playing the usual game of seek and hide or blame shifting by using the escape-goat of quota system as the solutions to underlying problems.
CONCLUSION
The case for meritocracy has two pillars: one pillar is a deontological argument which holds that we ought to treat people as ends and not merely means. By giving people what they deserve as individuals, rather than as members of groups, we show respect for their inherent worth. The second pillar for meritocracy is utilitarian. In the end, we will be better off by honoring excellence. We want the best leaders, teachers, policemen, physicians, generals, lawyers and airplane pilots that we can possibly produce in a society. So our program should be “promote equal opportunity as much as is feasible in a free market economy, and reward people according to their individual merit”.
The concerned Chanco students are proud of those who have shown the country that oneness, sober-mindedness and broadmindedness should be the ideals to govern our society – and call on all others to remain true to the spirit of purposeful leadership.We stand together and vow to never slip away from objective to subjective intellectual debates filled with accusations and counter-accusations and promise to change things that are way out of the hands of the national capability. We recommit ourselves to doing everything possible at our disposal to prevent the bad precedence of letting ego-aggrandizement rule over objectivity. We will never relent to fight for the good of the nation come what may [come].It is our prayer that the blessings of wisdom shower upon our beloved state. Wisdom supersedes prowess in arguing out legal and intellectual ambiguities and shows itself in Godly judgment that brings peace.
On behalf of the Concerned Students against Quota
Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo………………………………
Patson Gondwe……………………………….
Simon Simkoko………………………………..
Makhumbo Munthali………………………….
Labels: EDUCATION, ELIMINATION EXAMS, EXAMS, NEOLIBERALISM, STUDENTS
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Indefinite closure of CBU
Written by Editor
Closing the Copperbelt University is not in any way a solution. Closing the university is the easiest thing one can do. And no one can fail to close a university. The decision to close Copperbelt University simply demonstrates that those in charge of that university are not working, are not exerting serious efforts to try and address the problems facing that university.
And above all, this only goes to demonstrate how low the priority they attach to the education of our young people and to the future of our country. We say this because people who value the future of their country always attach a very high priority and special attention to the education of young people.
It doesn’t make sense to close the university several weeks after the disturbances are over. And as Copperbelt University Students Union president Kasonde Mwenda has correctly observed, the reasons being given for the closure of that university don’t make sense. One doesn’t need to indefinitely close the university to investigate the causes of disturbances. This can be done while the university is running its programmes.
And the causes of the disturbances should be known to all who want to know. Only an incompetent management can really fail to know the problems of that university. If they don’t know, then they are too detached from the affairs of that university and the issues that concern students.
This is not the way to run such an important institution. And moreover, regrettably as it may be, the incident that led to the burning of that car was an isolated one by a band of students that detached itself from the main. This is common everywhere – rogues are found everywhere. Even in our political parties, there are rogues; there are uncontrollable elements who commit crimes but that has not been used as pretext to close or ban such political parties.
If this was the case, the MMD would have been closed or banned a long time ago for the many violent actions of its cadres against innocent people. Even some of its leaders are violent but no one has closed or banned that political party. There is no section of the community that has all the virtues, neither does any have all the vices.
There is need to exercise a lot of care in the way we treat young people, even when they are wrong. Young people are learning not only the courses they have registered for at the university. They are learning many other things, including how to meaningfully participate in the politics of their communities and their country. And they need to be helped. Their weaknesses should not be turned into permanent disabilities by unjustified expulsions.
All over the world, it is young people who are actually involving themselves in the struggles to eliminate injustices. They are the ones who most quickly identify with the struggle against injustices and the necessity to eliminate the negative conditions that exist.
Their violent actions should be seen not as a problem but a symptom of a problem; in the understanding that young people do better in a strong and decent community of people with principles, standards, common aims and values. The source of these problems is the community in which these young people are being educated. The source of the problems lies in the injustices that they see every day.
We don’t favour violence. If we could bring about recognition and respect of our young people without any form of violence, we would be happier. Everybody would like to preach his objectives and advance his interests peacefully. But sometimes ignorance and greed stands in the way of this. If our young people were properly educated – by properly educated, we mean given a true picture of where their country is coming from, where it is and where it is headed and the reasons for all this and their place in the scheme of things – we think many of them would be less violent and more rational.
But also let’s be fair to these young people because more often than not, they are the victims of violence – police violence. Their non-violent protests are usually met with police violence. And this overtime breeds a culture of violent resistance on their part. There is need also to respect young people as important citizens, or even as special citizens because they are actually special. We say they are special because the future of our country depends more on them than on anyone else; it doesn’t depend on people Dr Kenneth Kaunda used to say are in their afternoons.
This country is theirs, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is theirs. These young people, full of vigour and vitality, are in the bloom of life. Our hope should be placed on them. We must help them to understand life much better. We must help them to understand that ours is a very poor country, that we cannot change this situation radically in a short time, and that only through the united efforts of our younger generation and all our people working together with their own hands, can Zambia be made strong and prosperous.
And because of their lack of political and social experience, quite a number of young people are unable to see what forces are at play in their country. That’s why we must constantly carry on lively and effective political education among our young people and should always tell them the truth about the difficulties that crop up and discuss with them how to surmount these difficulties.
The young people are the most active and vital force in society. They are the most eager to learn and the least conservative in their thinking.
Instead of dealing with these young people in a ruthless manner, trying to crush them, we should be helpful to them and go into the question of bringing into full play their energy. We should not treat them in the same way as everybody else and ignore their special characteristics. Of course, the young people should learn from the old and other adults, and should strive as much as possible to engage in all sorts of useful activities with their agreement.
Zambia must care for her youth and show concern for the growth of the younger generation. Young people have to study. Full attention must be paid to their study and to their recreation, sport and rest.
We have to accept responsibility for the way our young people behave. We have a duty to nurture them. We can only have influence on them if we treat them fairly, justly and humanely. Let’s teach them the correct history of our country. Let’s show them how young the revolutionaries of this country were when they took up the responsibility for the liberation of their homeland.
Most of the freedom struggle revolutionaries were in their teens and twenties. But contrast their responsibility, their maturity with that of the young people of today! If we make them feel they are human beings, they are respected, they will behave like human beings and they will respect themselves and others. But if we treat them without respect and care, they will behave accordingly; they will not behave like human beings in a society of human beings.
So it takes education to change the behaviour and attitudes of our young. And just because one is in a university doesn’t mean one has education. We say this because the universities in this country today are not in the strict sense educating our young people, they are mis-educating them.
We are depriving our young people of a better future by not showing enough respect and by not giving them enough attention and care. And we should not be surprised when they start treating us not as friends but as enemies who are depriving them of their future and start fighting us to secure a better future for themselves.
These young people are not anarchists, they are not necessarily violent people. They do some of these negative things because they don’t know what else to do given the myriad of problems they face and the frustrations these generate. They have been waiting for the government to solve their problems: they have been waiting for the president to solve their problems; they have been waiting for parliament to solve their problems; they have been waiting for their political leaders to solve their problems; and all they hear are a lot of petty words.
So they become frustrated and don’t know what to do. So they do the only thing that all frustrated young people do: resort to violence and other antisocial behaviour. And this is behaviour is seen in young people all over the world who find themselves in similar situations.
We are not justifying violence. Not at all. But we are justified in talking like this because this is the type of experience our young people are faced with every day. And today they are trying to find their way in all this confused social milieu, trying to see things for themselves, listen for themselves and think for themselves, trying to come to an intelligent decision for themselves.
Clearly, education of our young people is a critical challenge facing our nation today. And we should pay a lot of attention to it if we are to produce the kind of young men and women so desperately needed by our country – young men and women not only of high culture but of great personality as well. Young people are called to develop their country and to love the culture of their people. They have the right to be stimulated to make sound moral judgments based on well-informed conscience.
Mistreatment of young people constitutes a crime against the future of these youths as well as against the interests of our country’s future. We have to develop the activities of our young people to the highest level possible. For these reasons, we feel the decision to close the Copperbelt University is unwise, unjustifiable and irresponsible. Whatever problems are at the Copperbelt University, we sincerely believe they can be tackled while the university is open and running. These young people have no time to lose, they need every day to advance themselves and help in the building of the future of their country. We therefore urge the authorities to rethink their position, mull over things and subordinate all that to the interests of these young people.
And this calls for the immediate reopening of that university and to struggle without respite to create a more favourable and conducive environment for the development of these young people. Bringing up a country of upright young people requires a lot of effort and not resigned submission to the most barbaric and backward methods of dealing with problems facing these young people. Closing a university whenever there are problems has never been and will never be a solution.
Labels: CBU, STUDENTS
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Countrywide protests by pupils continue
Written by Allan Mulenga in Lusaka and Rabecca Chipanta in Kitwe
Monday, June 15, 2009 9:57:30 PM
The prolonged strike by teachers has raised 'eyebrows' to pupils throughout the country. For sure if left unchecked, the industrial unrest among the teaching staff will have a bearing on the academic performance of pupils during this year's examinations.
And a check by The Education Post during the week found schools deserted, while pupils were spotted loitering around in towns, as most government schools in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt were left only to be handled by student teachers.
In view of the fact that the final examinations period is fast approaching, the entire week has been punctuated by spontaneous pupils' protests across the country.
In Lusaka, pupils at Munali Girls and Munali Boys High School, Kabulonga Boys High School, as well as Lusaka High School (GRZ) singly ran amok in protest against the government's failure to make teachers get back to class.
Quick action from riot police stopped the protest by pupils, who were incensed by the number of days they had stayed without learning because of the persistent strikes by teachers.
They put up a protest against the government's neglect of the teachers' plight and chanted social and political slogans.
“We want change, we want change!” the pupils shouted. “Pabwato [PF's symbol].”
Meanwhile, throughout the week several pupils in most government-owned school were apprehensive over the continued strike by teachers.
At Lusaka's Kabulonga Boys High and Kabulonga Girls High School pupils were spotted loitering around, while only a handful of student teachers were at hand to attend to pupils.
And 18-year-old Fred Mpola said the school administration had not communicated to the pupils about the situation at the school.
“Since Monday all what we know is that teachers are not teaching. We don't know exactly what is going on and why teachers have stopped teaching us. Some pupils are even planning to demonstrate, although that is not a good idea,” Fred said, in an interview during the week.
He said pupils had negatively been affected by the strike, saying there was a lot of work they needed to cover before the final examination.
“It [strike] has really affected us because we have a lot of topics to cover this term,” said Fred, a grade 12 pupil at the school.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Morgan Shibaba urged the government to give the teachers what was due to them, saying it was government responsibility to attend to the welfare of its citizens.
“The government should give the teachers their monies, so that we can start learning. It is not good to be working while getting 'peanuts'. And government should remember that for someone to be a president or ministers you need to pass through teachers,” said Morgan, a grade 12 pupil at the same school.
And several Lusaka-based grade 12 pupils have expressed displeasure over the prolonged strike by teachers.
Blandina, a pupil at Munali Girls High, said pupils had not been learning for the past two weeks, stating that they [pupils] were behind in their academic calendar.
“We are losing out as grade twelves because we still have a lot of work to do, especially in Mathematics and Biology and in those subjects we can't understand on our own, we need teachers to explain to us [pupils],” she said.
Blandina urged the government to quickly intervene in the matter, saying teachers' action had deprived pupils with their education.
“The government should give teachers what is due to them because they need good salaries and improved conditions of service to teach us well. As you can see pupils here have stopped coming to school because of the continued strike. They [pupils] are even planning to stage another protest if the situation remains the same,” said Blandina.
And Jason Phiri, a pupil at Lusaka High, appealed to the government to quickly conclude their negotiations with teachers' union, so that classes could commence.
Jason, urged his fellow pupils to remain calm, as they wait for the response from government.
“I understand the feelings of my friends, but if they want to protest I urge them to demonstrate peacefully. It is not a good idea to destroy other people's property,” said Jason.
In Kabwe in Central province, pupils from Mukobeko High, Highridge High, Kabwe High, Kalonga High, Lukanga Basic, Broadway, Bwacha schools rioted over the government's failure to meet the teachers' demands.
The pupils blocked the road leading to Ngungu and Bwacha townships with logs and rocks but they were only stopped by police as they attempted to get into the town centre.
In Livingstone, police granted a permit to teachers to hold a peaceful demonstration in the tourist capital dubbed Back Wednesday.
On the Copperbelt, in Chililabombwe irate pupils from Chililabombwe High, Muleya High and Mitondo High School rioted in protest against the prolonged strike by teachers and caused traffic jams on some roads in the districts.
Chililabombwe district commissioner Timothy Musonda confirmed the development, saying the pupils damaged one vehicle whilst they were rioting.
Musonda said the owner of the damaged vehicle had since complained to the police.
“Pupils from Chililabombwe High School marched to Muleya High School were the pupils from that school joined their colleagues, they later marched to Mitondo High School and marched to my office were I addressed them. After addressing them some pupils left but others to be the ring leaders remained,” he said in an interview during the week.
Musonda explained that a number of the pupils got violent blocking the road and police had to be reinforced to calm the situation.
“A few of the pupils remained and blocked the road, it was only after they got violent and blocked the road that police were called in. Ten pupils who are suspected to be the ring leaders were picked and have been charged with riotous behavior and will appear in court. One vehicle was damaged and the owner has laid a charge against the pupil responsible.” Musonda said.
In Kitwe, pupils at Kitwe Boys High, Mindolo High and Helen Kaunda High School rioted making for the second time in two weeks, since the beginning of strike a month ago.
The irate pupils blocked the Kitwe- Chingola road and Kuomboka drive.
Police had a tough time to disperse rioting-Mindolo High pupils who had earlier blocked the road with rocks and tree branches and throwing stones at motorists who were forced to either park their vehicles at a distance or turn back.
Slogan-chanting Helen Kaunda High pupils blocked the main road in protest of the persistent strike by teachers.
A number of pupils from the schools had been picked by police in connection with the riots.
Labels: DEMONSTRATION, STRIKE, STUDENTS
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Countrywide protests by pupils continue
Written by Allan Mulenga in Lusaka and Rabecca Chipanta in Kitwe
Sunday, June 14, 2009 4:02:10 PM
The prolonged strike by teachers has raised 'eyebrows' to pupils throughout the country. For sure if left unchecked, the industrial unrest among the teaching staff will have a bearing on the academic performance of pupils during this year's examinations.
And a check by The Education Post during the week found schools deserted, while pupils were spotted loitering around in towns, as most government schools in Lusaka and on the Copperbelt were left only to be handled by student teachers.
In view of the fact that the final examinations period is fast approaching, the entire week has been punctuated by spontaneous pupils' protests across the country.
In Lusaka, pupils at Munali Girls and Munali Boys High School, Kabulonga Boys High School, as well as Lusaka High School (GRZ) singly ran amok in protest against the government's failure to make teachers get back to class.
Quick action from riot police stopped the protest by pupils, who were incensed by the number of days they had stayed without learning because of the persistent strikes by teachers.
They put up a protest against the government's neglect of the teachers' plight and chanted social and political slogans.
“We want change, we want change!” the pupils shouted. “Pabwato [PF's symbol].”
Meanwhile, throughout the week several pupils in most government-owned school were apprehensive over the continued strike by teachers.
At Lusaka's Kabulonga Boys High and Kabulonga Girls High School pupils were spotted loitering around, while only a handful of student teachers were at hand to attend to pupils.
And 18-year-old Fred Mpola said the school administration had not communicated to the pupils about the situation at the school.
“Since Monday all what we know is that teachers are not teaching. We don't know exactly what is going on and why teachers have stopped teaching us. Some pupils are even planning to demonstrate, although that is not a good idea,” Fred said, in an interview during the week.
He said pupils had negatively been affected by the strike, saying there was a lot of work they needed to cover before the final examination.
“It [strike] has really affected us because we have a lot of topics to cover this term,” said Fred, a grade 12 pupil at the school.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Morgan Shibaba urged the government to give the teachers what was due to them, saying it was government responsibility to attend to the welfare of its citizens.
“The government should give the teachers their monies, so that we can start learning. It is not good to be working while getting 'peanuts'. And government should remember that for someone to be a president or ministers you need to pass through teachers,” said Morgan, a grade 12 pupil at the same school.
And several Lusaka-based grade 12 pupils have expressed displeasure over the prolonged strike by teachers.
Blandina, a pupil at Munali Girls High, said pupils had not been learning for the past two weeks, stating that they [pupils] were behind in their academic calendar.
“We are losing out as grade twelves because we still have a lot of work to do, especially in Mathematics and Biology and in those subjects we can't understand on our own, we need teachers to explain to us [pupils],” she said.
Blandina urged the government to quickly intervene in the matter, saying teachers' action had deprived pupils with their education.
“The government should give teachers what is due to them because they need good salaries and improved conditions of service to teach us well. As you can see pupils here have stopped coming to school because of the continued strike. They [pupils] are even planning to stage another protest if the situation remains the same,” said Blandina.
And Jason Phiri, a pupil at Lusaka High, appealed to the government to quickly conclude their negotiations with teachers' union, so that classes could commence.
Jason, urged his fellow pupils to remain calm, as they wait for the response from government.
“I understand the feelings of my friends, but if they want to protest I urge them to demonstrate peacefully. It is not a good idea to destroy other people's property,” said Jason.
In Kabwe in Central province, pupils from Mukobeko High, Highridge High, Kabwe High, Kalonga High, Lukanga Basic, Broadway, Bwacha schools rioted over the government's failure to meet the teachers' demands.
The pupils blocked the road leading to Ngungu and Bwacha townships with logs and rocks but they were only stopped by police as they attempted to get into the town centre.
In Livingstone, police granted a permit to teachers to hold a peaceful demonstration in the tourist capital dubbed Back Wednesday.
On the Copperbelt, in Chililabombwe irate pupils from Chililabombwe High, Muleya High and Mitondo High School rioted in protest against the prolonged strike by teachers and caused traffic jams on some roads in the districts.
Chililabombwe district commissioner Timothy Musonda confirmed the development, saying the pupils damaged one vehicle whilst they were rioting.
Musonda said the owner of the damaged vehicle had since complained to the police.
“Pupils from Chililabombwe High School marched to Muleya High School were the pupils from that school joined their colleagues, they later marched to Mitondo High School and marched to my office were I addressed them. After addressing them some pupils left but others to be the ring leaders remained,” he said in an interview during the week.
Musonda explained that a number of the pupils got violent blocking the road and police had to be reinforced to calm the situation.
“A few of the pupils remained and blocked the road, it was only after they got violent and blocked the road that police were called in. Ten pupils who are suspected to be the ring leaders were picked and have been charged with riotous behavior and will appear in court. One vehicle was damaged and the owner has laid a charge against the pupil responsible.” Musonda said.
In Kitwe, pupils at Kitwe Boys High, Mindolo High and Helen Kaunda High School rioted making for the second time in two weeks, since the beginning of strike a month ago.
The irate pupils blocked the Kitwe- Chingola road and Kuomboka drive.
Police had a tough time to disperse rioting-Mindolo High pupils who had earlier blocked the road with rocks and tree branches and throwing stones at motorists who were forced to either park their vehicles at a distance or turn back.
Slogan-chanting Helen Kaunda High pupils blocked the main road in protest of the persistent strike by teachers.
A number of pupils from the schools had been picked by police in connection with the riots.
Labels: STRIKE, STUDENTS
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