The University of Zambia – UNZA has secured funding to completed the construction of additional hotels which had stalled following the countrywide re-scoping and suspension of some infrastructure projects.
UNZASU vice president who is currently the acting president confirmed that the revised date of completion for the new hostels which had stalled is end of this year 2021.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Time – ZBT, UNZASU acting President Gregory Chisha stated that Government through the office of the President released the funds two weeks ago. Chisha said K20 million has been pumped in to complete the 6 hostel at the University of Zambia.
He said for the past years the institution has been facing acute accommodation crisis due to limited hostels which will soon be history.
“The school has been facing a lot of challenges in terms of accommodation due to limited hostels and these additional hostels have been under construction for a long time. But with the coming of the government through the office of the President, this will soon be the history to the institution”, he told ZBT.
Chisha further stated that “as a student Union, we managed to engage the government to come to our aid regarding the hostel construction which had stalled. We appreciate the fact that government has now released the funds and this is the good move”.
He said the move by office of the president is a good move and it has been done at a right time because the completion of the new hostels will help the institution to have enough bed spaces on campus.
He added that with the coming of the first years this year, the Student Union is doing everything possible in order to help out the first year student. The student leader has since called upon various stakeholders to help the institution with face masks and hand sanitizers now that the first years are in school.
He said the school has put in some prevent measures to prevent the spread of the corona virus or Covid 19. “As a student Union, we are making sure that the students are masking up and we have also stationed some hand sanitizers in places which are frequently visited by students.
And Janet Banda, a third year student has said the pumping in of the money to complete the hostels is a good move because most of the student do not accommodation within school. She said from the time she has been at UNZA, some student who have accommodation outside the the university campus have been involved in road traffic accident on their way to school.
“During the time that have been at UNZA, about three to five students have been involved in road traffic accidents on their way to school because of not being accommodated on campus. But all this will come to an end or be greatly reduced by the end of this year,” she said.
Government had also initiated the construction of hostels at the Copperbelt University – CBU and the Evelyn Hone College. All these projects stalled but are expected to this year be completed following the line inclusion in the 2021 budget.
