Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Human Rights Commission (HRC) has called for punishment of perpetrators and compensation of the victims of the family of a fourth year University of Zambia (UNZA) who died due to suffocation during protests by students over unpaid allowances.
Commission spokesperson Mweelwa Muleya says the death of Vespers Shimuzhila from suffocation after her room caught fire as a result of a teargas canister that was reportedly thrown into her room is a clear case of violation of her right to life as enshrined under article 12 of the constitution of Zambia and various other regional and international human rights instruments to which Zambia is a state party.
Mr. Muleya has told Q news in a statement that the death of the UNZA student does not fall within the ambit of the legally permissible derogation to the right to life when one is deprived of life during the suppression of a riot because the victim in question was not rioting but was lawfully and peacefully in her room, away from the scene of disturbances.
He says it is regrettable that the Zambia police service ignored the advice given by the commission on 18th December 2017 after investigating a similar riot at the Copperbelt University to refrain from invading campus premises and smoking students out of their rooms using teargas.
And Mr. Muleya has since called upon the government to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable and the family of the victim is compensated in line with its primarily obligation of respecting and protecting human rights and ending impunity in human rights violations.
He is also demanding for immediate restoration of the constitutional right to freedom of association in all the high learning institutions by respecting and protecting the continued existence and operation of independent students’ union to represent the collective legitimate interests and ideals of students in an organized and lawful manner.
And University of Zambia (UNZA) Public Relations Manager, Damaseke Chibale has appealed for calm among the students as their meal allowances are being processed and will be ready next week.
In a statement issued to Q news, Mr. Chibale says UNZA management finds the riot unwarranted as the allowances were been processed.
UNZA students rioted on Thursday night following failure by government to pay them their student loans since august.