UPND demands for reopening of UNZA, CBU

UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma

The opposition UPND has demanded that government must reopen the institutions of higher learning immediately and allow students to gain the much needed knowledge and skills currently lacking in the nation.

In a statement to QFM News today, UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma says his party knows the real reason behind their failure to do so is that the PF now face a bankrupt treasury due to their reckless expenditure.

Mr. Kakoma says the closure of the two institutions is another clear case of the failure to prioritize the application of resources.

He cites the pronouncement made last week by Vice President Inonge Wina that Government spent about K4.89 million to organize the constitution signing ceremony at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka saying these are the sorts of expenditures that the UPND has had problems accepting.

He says close to K5 billion old currency is too much money for that empty stadium on a one day event.

Meanwhile, Government says it is engaging management at the two higher learning institutions in the country to find out why those on distance and parallel learning are not learning despite government maintaining that those should not be affected by the closure of the universities.

Higher education deputy minister Stephen Mushanga says those on distances and parallel learning are exempted from the closure thus it will have to find out the reasons why they are not learning.

And Mr. Mushanga says government is putting certain modalities in place before the two universities can be reopened.

He says they want to ensure that as the universities re -open, the situation does not repeat itself.

Mr. Mushanga further states that the enactment of a student’s loan bill has reached an advanced stage.