University of Zambia student leaders say they will no longer tolerate Patriotic Front cadres going into campus to beat them up every time they are demonstrating on campus.
And newly elected University of Zambia Students Union President Stephen Kanguya says it was illogical for the Patriotic Front government to go on rampage building provincial universities when they were failing to manage the two public universities in the country.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix’s Let The People Talk, the students said the police were the ones responsible for the demonstrations that spiraled into riots as they followed students to the hostels.
Vice president Cederick Makumba said tension on campus was building over the delay in the payment of meal allowances and the students had given the union an ultimatum.
“We had cadres of a political party coming into campus beating up innocent students by the entrance who were demonstrating. We condemn the political party that sent its cadres, everyone knows who they are,” Makumba said. “We, as students, will not condone that behaviour anymore.”
He said the students spoke for all including the hired cadres.
“As students we speak for everyone including the cadres whose unruly behaviour is meant to impress their leaders, we speak for them,” Makumba said.
Last Wednesday when UNZA students staged a demonstration, Patriotic Front cadres beat up students seriously wounding two leading to their hospitalization.
He said tension at campus was high following government’s failure to pay the outstanding K630 allowance.
“Tension in campus is building over the BC (allowances). We are meeting the Permanent Secretary tomorrow but the students have given an ultimatum of up to today,” he said.
Makumba said the students were surprised that government had failed to honour its promise to pay the students as earlier agreed.
“All the demonstrations you see start with dialogue but when we are given a deaf ear then we are left with no option but to demonstrate,” he said.
And Kanguya said the government should consider improving the already existing universities before going on rampage building universities.
“It is like your child is suffering from malnutrition and you give birth to another one so as they build new universities they should improve UNZA,” he said.
He said the K56 billion annual grant was not enough in running the affairs of the institution.
He said the student to lecturer ratio was also contributing to deteriorating standards at the institution.
“There are schools with 306 students and those are the challenges in the quality of education which has also brought down the ranking on the continent,” he said.
“We challenge government as they are building other universities they should consider the centralisation of the University of Zambia to employ more lecturers.”
The University of Zambia is ranked 28th on the continent and 66th in the world.
Menwhile, General Secretary Best Mambo said UNZASU will continue speaking on national matters.
He said the students was a flagship of youth dynamism and will be more reasonable in addressing national matters.
The post UNZASU Warns PF Cadres who Beat up Students appeared first on Zambia Reports.