Issue of Bursaries tabled in Parliament Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili and Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa traded verbal blows in parliament over the 4000 University of Zambia students denied bursary by government. Mweetwa rose on a point of order to query government silence on the matter with a student having taken her life over having not been given government sponsorship. The Choma lawmaker questioned why it was the Minister of Sports who had been issuing statements on the matter instead of the Ministry of Education but Kambwili never one to take blows lying down blatantly said it was not government responsibility to provide bursaries for all the students that applied. Out of 6, 000 first year students admitted to the University of Zambia for the 2014/15 academic year only 2, 600 have been awarded bursaries. Below is the verbatim of the Kambwili v Mweetwa verbal tussle: Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa: I rise to raise a point of order which I fervently believe is in national interest. In so doing I will like also to declare interest that the point of order relates to the university an institution where I am currently privileged to serve as a member of the University Council board. Sir the University of Zambia in this year’s academic year has admitted about 6000, out of those 6000 the government has only admitted 2000 on the bursary scheme which traditionally is the mainstay for students university education. Out of those 4000 who were not admitted to the bursary includes those who should have come in the next academic year but the university management opened it up for them to apply and were therefore admitted. As a result of the huge number that has been left out there is despondency in the university amongst the students to an extent sir as we speak a first year student by the name Musanka Makwamba of Siameja village Chief Mweemba in Sinazongwe District committed suicide upon discovering that she could not access bursary sponsorship notwithstanding the good and outstanding results that she had. This comes on the backdrop of the statements that were made yesterday by my elder brother the Minister of Sports who in essence and by effect made statements that introduced despair in the minds of the students who were not on the bursary that the government is not going to do anything to redeem the situation. Today when I was listening to the Lusaka Star the minister of sports and not the Minister of Education appears in my view to change his position and stated that those students who have not been considered under the bursary scheme that issue is under consideration. Those statements sir are coming from the Minister of Sports and not education amidst a looming crisis because as a member of the University Council and indeed as a former UNZASU president I am quiet privy of the apprehension that has engulfed that environment and as returning students come one would only want to hope that by that time this issue would have been resolved. Is the Ministry of Education therefore in order with the foregoing to remain quiet and not come to address this house so that they know the circumstances that have led the student to terminate her life and indeed the looming crisis at the institution arising from the many students who being excluded from this rare opportunity to access education through sponsorship of bursary. Is the ministry in order also to be quiet in the midst of statements from a minister who is not in charge of education to remain conspicuously mute when the nation expects to hear the way forward. Sir I need your ruling. Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini: my ruling is you file an urgent question and I will process it. You will get the minister to respond. Point of Order by Minister of Sports Chishimba Kambwili: I rise on a serious point of order that borders on misleading the house with impunity by a Member of Parliament. Is Honourable Mweetwa in order to mislead the house that I said on UNZA Radio that the government is not going to do anything and that today I have changed my position. In view of the fact that his President phoned yesterday on UNZA radio agitating that or telling the students that government has spent money on by- elections as a result they could not pay for all the students because the money was taken to the by- elections. And when I called back I did indicate on UNZA radio that it is not possible for government to pay for all the students that applied because that is not sustainable. Is he in order because his former Member of Parliament Honourable Siakalima when he was asked said it is not possible for government to pay for all the students? Is he in order therefore to come and concoct stories that I was making statements when I was not minister of education which are not correct when he must realize that the university deals with youths for whom I represent. Is he in order to mislead the house with impunity? I thank you sir. Speaker: the point of order raises a context on facts I am not privy to all the material that has been referred to by both Member for Choma Central and the Honourable Minister of Sports. In the absence of that material and contested facts I will reserve my ruling. Source: Zambia Reports zambiareports/2014/10/02/kambwili- mweetwa-trade-verbal-blows-bursaries/
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 07:27:34 +0000
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