-
UNZA STUDENT BREAKS LEG IN ANTI-XENOPHOBIC PROTESTS

 By Kaluwe and Robby 

 While hundreds of foreign nationals in South Africa were running for their dear lives following a spate of xenophobic attacks in that country last week, a University of Zambia (UNZA) student sustained a broken leg in Lusaka during an activity sparked by the nationalistic disturbances happening almost 1,600 kilometers (km) away. 

UNZA student Grace Muzambalika at the hospital : 
picture by Mwiche Namukonde
Grace Muzambalika, a third year Media and Communication Studies student at UNZA, broke her leg on Wednesday last week when she was trying to escape tear gas canisters fired by police during the 'peaceful' protest against xenophobic attacks perpetrated by South Africans in that country.  

Muzambalika explains that she fell into a drainage and broke her leg in an attempt to escape the tear gas at the South African embassy in Lusaka.

Police fired tear gas canisters after students allegedly became unruly despite being reminded that the protest was supposed to be peaceful.

The student now has a Plaster of Paris (PoP) on her right leg and is recovering at home.
Muzambalika’s friend, Chileshe Kapenda, described this development as unfortunate especially that the protest was meant to be peaceful.

“I am actually very disappointed that the police started beating up students instead of just guiding them on how to protest peacefully,” she said.

She said police know how UNZA students usually behave hence they should have appreciated the peaceful protest.

UNZA students protesting : picture by Charity Mushaukwa
On Wednesday last week, UNZA students staged a peaceful protest to protest over xenophobic activities that erupted in South Africa.

The protest, which was held under a "No Violence" slogan, had all students clad in black clothes and matching the UNZA Great East road campus to the South African Embassy in Lusaka and back.

Students covered a total of approximately 28 km from UNZA main campus to the embassy and back through Great East road, Addis Ababa Drive into Los Angeles Boulevard and Kabulonga road. 

However, in an unusual turn of events, the Zambia Police and students, who are often at loggerheads, collaborated and interacted as the law-enforcers escorted the learner back to their institution.

UNZA student Grace Muzambalika after receiving  treatment:
 picture by Mwiche Namukonde
The cat and mice affair, which usually characterises any encounter between the two groups, was not the case on that day despite a brief scuffle at the embassy.

Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu condemned the unruly behaviour which students exhibited during the protest saying they are supposed to lead by example to other young people in the country especially that they come from the highest institution of learning.

Lungu said in a statement issued soon after the protests that it was unacceptable for UNZA students to engage into acts of lawlessness while at the same time condemning criminal acts of xenophobia in South Africa.

The President wondered how the students could engage in acts of criminality which they were condemning South African for.




-ENDS -




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PaluPala, new UNZASU president

-
Image
PALUPALA, NEW UNZASU PRESIDENT In many people’s minds, it was out of over-zealousness, overrating oneself and a failure to introspect himself when Shadreck Mumba aka Palu Pala, a third year Media and Communication Studies (MCS) student declared his intention to contest the the  presidency of  University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) this year. Shadreck Mumba ( PaluPala), UNZASU President Elect - Picture Credit - Shadreck Mumba Facebook Page Palu Pala’s intentions were further misconstrued as mere power hungriness especially that another student from the same class, Maya Jika Chenkalapa (Moma apite), also declared her intentions to vie for the same position as Shadreck. What was deemed as a dream has come true following the Monday, September 30, 2019 election. By the morning of October 1, 2019, results were announced, with Palu Pala scooping the topmost UNZASU position, beating 13 other presidential candidates. He garnered 722 votes against h...
Read more
-
Image
WALLAH CALLS FOR PEACEFUL UNZASU CAMPAIGNS    By Robby  University of Zambia Student Union (UNZASU) President Warran Hamusunga during a briefing in NELT at UNZA: Picture by Robert Sintufya University of Zambia Students Union president has urged the student populace to be peaceful in the on-going campaigns for the forthcoming UNZASU elections. Warran Hamusunga said students should desist from acts of violence so as to set an example that they are from the highest learning institution in the country. This call comes in the wake of  an incident in which a room of one of the UNZASU aspiring candidate was almost set ablaze.  Hamusunga said it is unacceptable that students can be involved into acts of violence over democratic elections. He has since on the supporters of  different UNZASU contestants to exercise peace as they campaign for their various candidate of choice.  The UNZASU president further urged students to emulate ...
Read more
-
Image
UNZA STUDENTS TO REBRAND HIP-HOP By Suwilanji Sickest Beats Ever Crew performing on stage at Cresta Golf View Hotel - Picture by Mwiche Namukonda                           University of Zambia students are set to storm into the music industry by creating a record label called Sickest Beats Ever. The group label which has been in existence for more than a year plans to bring out more of the hip hop genre and recruit new artists from the University of Zambia who aspire to do more in the industry than just doing music as a hobby. The music label which consisting of three male students namely Suwilanji Siame, Yemu M'sumba and Bune Mwengwe whose stage names are Slick, Roller and Sliq Andy respectively are set to host their second annual event 'Slippery 19' pool party this October. This event is meant to promote new music  that will enter the Zambian Music Industry from various upcoming artists ...
Read more