Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
University of Zambia (UNZA) students this morning staged a protest disturbing the rush-hour traffic flow on Great East Road which they blocked with stones and burning tyres.
The students were protesting over their withheld examination results by lecturers.
University of Zambia Lecturers and Researchers Union (UNZALARU) have withheld the exam results for 2014/2015 academic year demanding the payment of their allowances by Government.
The rush-hour protest by the students forced traffic Police officers to divert traffic heading to town towards Kamloops road causing heavy traffic on the two lane road.
University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) President Martin Muyuya has told QFM News via telephone that the students decided to protest because the academic calendar is being disturbed by lecturers and government.
Mr. Muyuya says the students have no option but protest to push government to pay the lecturers their money so that they can release the exam results.
He says relevant authorities should know that the academic calendar is being disturbed and that it is the students who are suffering in the whole process.
Mr. Muyuya has since appealed to Republican President Edgar Lungu to intervene in the matter saying it is slowly getting out of hand.
Meanwhile trainee doctors from the UNZA Ridgeway Campus this morning staged a protest at the Ministry of Education demanding to be addressed by Education Minister Dr. Michael Kaingu.
However quick action by Police prevented the students from entering the ministry grounds.
UNZASU School of Medicine President Bright Makenzih told journalists that they want government to pay the lecturers their full allowances so that they can release the students’ results.
Mr. Makenzih says the K50 million that government has offered to pay lecturers in installments has been rejected by UNZALARU and thus the need for Dr. Kaingu and the Lecturers to sit down and find an alternative way of resolving the impasse without affecting the students.