SIMON MUNTEMBA writes
GOVERNMENT should consider re-opening Copperbelt University (CBU) and reinstate all expelled students immediately for the sake of their future, Movement for National Transformation (MNT) has advised.
MTN founding president, Daniel Shimunza, said there was need for the Government to prioritize education provision and the empowerment of youths if Zambia was to have responsible leaders in future.
Dr Shimunza told the Sun that Government should give priority to the re-opening of CBU and resolving issues affecting the University of Zambia (UNZA).
“As MNT, we demand that government intervenes in all matters related to the reopening of CBU and must immediately reinstates all expelled students,” Dr Shimunza said.
He said the adversarial educational policy was not user friendly and sympathetic to 21st century politics.
Using the students when you need them, he said, and expelling them when their needs are not met, is a failure of gross negligence of any government in modern politics.
He added, “You are killing the future of our youths, stop this kind of politics, it is outdated and must be condemned strongly.”
Dr Nshimunza said the recent three trips that President Edgar Lungu made to the Copperbelt Province during his working s was the best time to address the CBU issue.
He said the expectation of the nation was that priority would be given to the reopening of the CBU and the resolution of the UNZA challenges.
“The President has not been advised well, and has been misrepresented by the Minister of Higher Education, in this regard,” he said.
Dr Nshimunza also said the politicization of the whole matter of UNZA and CBU is unfortunate.
The idea that always the Minister of Higher Education, he said, is peddling a policy of being against students makes sad reading, when in fact we should be fighting for students for meal allowances, fees, paying Lecturers, and incentivizing students in a weak economy. This is bad politics, which is sacrificing our youths and student’s future which we need for National Development.
“You can’t throw the baby with bath water! Deal with the problems, but spare our students we demand! The graphic images of Vesper Shimunzhila still haunt government, now expulsions, and indefinite closures of universities?” he said. “As if adding salt to injury is not enough, the expulsion of the ten student union officials has hurt many of us Zambians
