Mukuba University Students Demand Vice Chancellor, Exam Results

STUDENTS at Kitwe’s Mukuba University yesterday boycotted classes, demanding among other things the appointment of a vice-chancellor and the release of their examination results.
The government last year upgraded the Copperbelt Secondary Teachers’ College (COSETCO) in Kitwe’s Garnertone area into a university and has since embarked on expanding and upgrading infrastructure at the school.
Mukuba University Students Union president, Mumba Tebulu, said the institution was not running effectively because the vice-chancellor and the university council had not yet been established.
“We are demanding for three things because we know our listening government will come to our aid. The results for the fourth year students and other intakes have not been released, it’s now seven months, we also want school teaching practice fee which is at K1,000 to be reduced to about K300 like other institutions. Since this is a big institution now, we want the vice-chancellor, we want the university council and the senate to be established,” Tebulu said.
He said the issues students were highlighting were genuine and would affect their academic performance if they were not addressed.
Tebulu said without appointment of the vice-chancellor and the university council, Mukuba University would continue to grapple with such challenges.
When contacted for a comment, Mukuba University registrar, Jonathan Ng’onga said the issues the students were raising were beyond management and the government was addressing them.
“They want the vice-chancellor to be appointed and they want results to be coming out within one month. We explained to them that it is the government that appoints the vice-chancellor and the university council. These issues are being addressed,” Ng’onga said.
He further said it was not true that the school was holding on to the examination results for over seven months.
“Students wrote their exams in April and from April this year to date, that is not seven months; it’s about two months. The arrangement is that the University of Zambia goes through these papers, which they have done, we have done the moderation and now it’s at the level of the senate. The vice-chancellor must sign them. They will receive the results once this is done,” Ng’onga said.