UNZA, CBU financial woes blamed on managements

THE University of Zambia and Copperbelt University are grappling with financial challenges to manage their operations because the managements fail to balance the money they make and what they get from Government, Minister of Higher Education Brian Mushimba has said.

And UNZA Vice Chancellor, Luke Mumba yesterday assured irate students that the standoff with lecturers who have since downed tools would be resolved by Monday.

Dr Mushimba said Government has so far used about K90 million raised from the Skills Development Levy to award bursaries to students in various vocational trainings in the country.

He said Government had tried its best to support the two universities and what was happening now had been caused by the managements.

Dr Mushimba said this yesterday when he delivered a ministerial statement in Parliament.

“As Government we have not failed to support the higher learning institutions, we have tried to help these institutions with necessary resources.

Why the universities are facing financial challenges it’s because of the failure to balance the resources which they generate and what they get from Government.

So we have been advising these universities to prudently utilise the resources so that they can manage their operations,” Dr Mushimba said.

Meanwhile Dr Mushimba said the Ministry of Finance released about K288 million realised from the Skills Development Levy in order to be used to build vocational training centres and award bursaries to students.

He said the Ministry of Finance released K121 million, K94 million and K73 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017 respectively.