1 July 2009
STUDENTS at Chipata Trades Training Institute yesterday staged a demonstration demanding the immediate removal of vice-principal, James Kabwibwi whom they accused of not attending to their plight.
The more than 150 students, who started their demonstration as early as 06:00 hours, blocked the administration building, including the main entrance to the institute, denying all members of staff entry into the premises.
The students carried placards denouncing the vice-principal, sang sodality songs and vowed not to open the gates until Mr Kabwibwi was removed.
Students' union president, Michael Mwila, who was flanked by his secretary, Harrison Malunga, accused Mr Kabwibwi, who is also the training manager, of failing to attend to the concerns of the students.
Mr Mwila said the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training sent 20 bursary forms to the institution but had not been given to deserving students.
He accused Mr Kabwibwi of not being supportive to the students' programme of industrial and sports tours.
Institute principal, Osman Maliki refused to comment on the matter and referred all queries to the board chairperson, John Sankhulani.
But Mr Kabwibwi denied the allegations by the students as baseless.
He said the students were only upset when he told them that the sports tournament they were supposed to attend in Kabwe had been cancelled.
"I only told them that the tournament has been cancelled by the organisers in Kabwe and they thought I was blocking their participation in the tournament," he said.
The students said they would only open the entrance to the school once the vice-principal was removed from the institution.
Mr Sankhulani pleaded with the students to open the entrance so that management and board members could address them.
"There is no way we can discuss while the school premises still remains closed," Mr Sankhulani said.
By midday, the students had not yet opened the entrance.
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