By ADRIAN MWANZA
THE University of Zambia (UNZA) lecturers have called off their go-slow after the government directed management to release the K48 million to cater for their needs.
Acting Education Minister Elvis Nkandu said that the lecturers had called off the strike and that they would also release an extra K50 million.
Mr Nkandu said that the Minister of Education, Mr Douglas Syakalima was also working on the demands by the unions that wanted the UNZA Council dissolved.
“The K48m is already in the school accounts but I don’t know why the institution does not want to pay the lecturers, reasons best known to themselves,” he said.
Mr Nkandu said the government had released K150 million and gave a direction to share between the serving staff and the retirees.
He said however the money only went to the retirees instead of also looking at the serving members.
Mr Nkandu said the government would also release an extra K50 million to settle the balance which was left.
And the minister said Government had directed the management to allow students to write their exams even if they had arrears.
He said that no student would be chased for not fully paying their tuition fees because of the effects of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have directed that no one should be chased for failing to fully settle their tuition fees and they will sign an MoU which will allow them to get their results after paying their tuition fees,” Mr Nkandu said.
