PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has condemned the use of live ammunition by police in quelling disturbances that occurred at the Copperbelt University (CBU) yesterday.

And the president has defended the Government decision to privatise Zambia Telecommunication Company (Zamtel), saying the move will help improve the status of technology in the parastatal.

Speaking in Kampala yesterday when he addressed Zambians resident in that country on the sidelines of the Smart Partnership Movement conference at Munyonyo Commonwealth resort, President Banda said he was disappointed that police used live ammunition instead of teargas.

He said he did not understand why police resorted to shooting when there were other options of containing the riotous behaviour of the students. President Banda demanded for a comprehensive report on circumstances leading to the use of live ammunition by police.

"I am glad that the commissioner of police is here with me. I want to know why police used live ammunition. "I am not happy at all. This report has disturbed me and spoiled my stay here in Uganda," said President Banda. He said he was particularly disappointed to learn that the riotous behaviour emanated from a trivial matter involving the theft of a laptop computer from one of the students.

President Banda advised university students and other youths not to resort to violent means in resolving personal differences. He said there were amicable ways of resolving problems emanating from highest learning institutions, citing the use of dialogue as the most preferred means of settling disputes.

President Banda said Zambians should emulate the way Uganda had scored tremendous strides in the provision of tertiary education to its people resulting in socio-economic development. He said education was key to any country's development, and that this explained why Uganda had recorded significant economic growth because of a large number of its citizens who attained university education.

"Education has a lot to do in the development of Uganda. Imagine that every year they are churning out 30,000 graduates," he said. President Banda regretted that Zambia's education base had not been wide enough because of the limited number of people going through tertiary education.

On the privatisation of Zamtel, President Banda said the institution was important to the country, hence the need to find investors with financial capacity to improve its operations. President Banda told Zambians living in Uganda that the Government took a bold decision to privatise Zamtel while retaining 25 per cent control of the institution.

He said the Government would in the process limit issuance of licences to those wishing to set up mobile phone companies to enable Zamtel recover and operate competitively with other privately-owned cellular phone companies.