500 CBU students left in limbo
Students have been ordered to vacate campus after failing to secure government sponsorship.
MORE than 500 applicants for Government bursaries at the Copperbelt University (CBU) in Kitwe have been left in the cold after management asked them to leave campus.
The first year students have been asked to go home after failing to secure sponsorship despite being assured that they would get bursaries before the end of the first term.
Higher Education Minister Professor Nkandu Luo could not be reached as her phone went unanswered.
But the affected students told the Daily Nation that they would not vacate the campus until they get the bursaries which they were promised.
The students were ordered to leave during an address by management officials last week
Some of the applicants said they were shocked at the turn of events because a Director of Higher Education Irene Chirwa assured them last year that they would get their bursaries before the end of first term.
"This is second term and nothing has happened. Management at CBU has told us to go home because we are not on bursary. In the first term, while waiting for the bursary, we were learning normally, but this time we have been told to go home because we are not on bursary,'' said one affected student. One of the students charged that those selecting the students to be on bursary were looking at the merits and not on the vulnerability.
She said they were selecting students who had scored eight points, but she had scored 10 points and was not selected for bursary.
"They picked those with eight points and below despite coming from rich or well to do families.
‘‘We have vowed not to vacate campus. We appeal to President Lungu to help us please. We won't go home minus degrees," said one student