HH calls accusers ‘stupid’ as students observe funeral with march protest
‘‘It’s a stupid thing to say I am responsible for this. I am not the one in charge of paying student’s allowances, those in charge are to blame. So why shift the blame to someone? I would be responsible if I was in Government but I am not and of course I wouldn’t allow students to go through such.’
IT’S a stupid thing to say I am responsible for the UNZA riots and the loss of a life of a student, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has said. Mr Hichilema charged that those accusing him of having incited students to riot were being stupid, because he (Hichilema) was not the one in charge of paying students’ meal allowances. He said students rioted because they were not paid their allowances by Government. He said President Lungu and his Government should be blamed for what happened at the university, including the untimely death of a female student. The opposition leader was speaking to journalists outside the SDA church on Katima Mulilo Road, shortly after paying his last respects to Vespers Shimunzhila, a fourth-year student who died of suffocation during the riots. “It’s a stupid thing to say I am responsible for this. I am not the one in charge of paying student’s allowances, those in charge are to blame. So why shift the blame to someone? I would be responsible if I was in Government but I am not and of course I wouldn’t allow students to go through such. “All they needed to do was to pay the students their allowances, but they never did that, instead they got paid themselves and increased their salaries. “We have no responsible leadership in this country, how can you instruct the police to kill people. The Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Home Affairs and of course Lungu are to blame for this,” Mr Hichilema said. And UNZA students yesterday marched from their campus to Manda Hill traffic lights on Great East Road bringing traffic to a standstill and blocking off Thabo Mbeki and Katima Mulilo roads. A Zambia Army vehicle on the road, was surrounded and forced to move at snails pace as the students refused to give way. Police were conspicuously missing as students sang their way to the SDA church for the send off service of Vespers. Most roads were blocked and traffic backed up to Great North Road on the Katima Mulilo road from the Arcades roundabout. And Professor Luke Mumba, the UNZA vice chancellor told an emotion filled church that 19 students were rushed to UTH following the riot in which Vespers lost her life. He said UNZA would take measures to ensure sanity was restored by improving campus security. When students got back to UNZA campus on both sides of the road, they demanded to be addressed by the vice chancellor but he was not available so they were addressed by the bursar, Arnold Kapembwa. He commended them for a peaceful demonstration and gave them two days mourning period, yesterday and today after they demanded a week of mourning. He also said there would be transport to Namwala today for those attending burial. Misheck Kakonde, Zambia National Students Union president, called for calmness among students. He said the issue of meal and project allowances would be discussed later with UNZA management. He also appealed to government to allow the union executive resume operations to ensure there was communication between management and the students. And Lucy Lungu, Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) national president, urged government to allow students’ union to resume operations to prevent miscommunication. Vespers, 24, who was the third born in a family or 10, will be buried in Namwala today.