Tue, 30 May 2017 09:59:30 +0000
By ANNIE ZULU AND
SIMON MUNTEMBA
GOVERNMENT has suspended union activities at the University of Zambia (UNZA) until further notice.
Minister of Higher Education Nkandu Luo confirmed the development at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
Professor Luo said the unnecessary riots were being caused by students who want to be elected to the University of Zambia students union (UNZASU).
She said the riots were unnecessary because students had been paid all allowances except accommodation allowance.
The Minister said this is because not all students were on government sponsorship.
Professor Luo said lectures were going on normally contrary to reports in some sections of the media that lecturers are not teaching.
Management’s failure to resolve the on-going lecturers’ go-slow, delayed payments of project and accommodation allowances sparked the University of Zambia (UNZA) students to riot on Sunday night.
The students who have not been attending classes for the past one week blocked the Great East Road, burnt tyres and sang songs denouncing the university management for delaying to pay them their project and accommodation allowances.
Confirming the development to the Daily Nation in Lusaka yesterday, Lusaka Police Commissioner Nelson Phiri said, the police hadrushed to the scene at around 23:00 hours to stop the protest.
Mr Phiri said that the riot police responded quickly and managed to disperse the rioting students from the Great East Road around 23:00 hours.
“Yes there was a riot involving UNZA students at around 23:00 hours. When we received a report, police officers quickly rushed there at the Great East Road Campus to stop the protest,” Mr Phiri said.
The Lusaka police Commissioner further disclosed that no any arrests were made.
Meanwhile, the UNZA Student Union (UNZASU) president Adrian Matole said the riot was sparked by students demanding for payments of project and accommodation allowances.
Matole said it was costly for the students to continue living on campus without accommodation and project allowances.
“We are demanding that our project and accommodation allowance are paid immediately. This is money which is already budgeted for, so we don’t understand why we have to protest to get it,” he said. The UNZASU President said as a student’s leader, he was disappointed in the manner the management was handling the affairs of the students. “We are appealing to the Ministry of Higher Education and the management to seriously put the interest of the students as number one priority.
“We don’t take delight in any form of protest or demostrations, right now students are frustrated and you know what happens when someone gets emotional,” he said
