Apologise for making students suffer, political commentator tells Nkandu Luo
LUSAKA based political commentator Dillon Mayangwa is demanding an apology from former education minister Professor Nkandu Luo for making university students suffer after withdrawing their meal allowances.
Mayangwa said professor Luo’s ‘careless’ decision made a number of students drop out from school because they would not afford the University life.
In 2019, while professor Luo was Higher Education minister, the PF Government abolished the meal allowances which saw a lot of students from disadvantaged backgrounds losing hope in attaining an education.
The decision was highly controversial and faced opposition from students who relied on the allowances for daily living expenses.
However, in his campaign messages, ahead of the August 2021 elections, President Hakainde Hichilema pledged to reintroduce meal allowances for government-sponsored students at public universities.
In the 2023 national budget, the meal allowance pledge was actualised by the UPND administration and students are now making good use of pans and pots, as they fry real, appetising food bought from the given meal allowances.
The re-introduction earned the current administration praise with the majority of students vowing to bring back the UPND Government as the country heads to the polls on August 13.
But appearing on Crown TV last on Monday, Prof Luo said her decision to remove the allowances was because only two universities were benefiting.
She stated that God will not hold her accountable for abolishing student meal allowances because she did it for the good of every student in the country.
But Mayangwa said the former minister should swallow her pride and apologise to the student for her heartless decision.
He wandered what new thing Luo faction would give the University students who were now enjoying their studies with introduced meal allowances.
Mayangwa said the professor was rejected on the 2021 ballot because she condemned students to poverty.
“Some young girls ended up getting into relationships with older men just to help themselves pull through the economy hardships that was created by PF,” Mayangwa said.
“The former education minister Nkandu Luo must apologize to the students and the Zambians for making a very bad decision that drew Zambia’s education systems backwards. A number of students dropped out of school because they could not afford a meal while in school,” said Mayangwa.
Under the UPND government, the meal allowance scheme, which was historically restricted to the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Copperbelt University (CBU), has been expanded to include several other public universities under the Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB), including Mukuba University, Kwame Nkrumah University, Chalimbana University, Mulungushi University and Palabana Universit.
The allowance was also increased to K750 per month, up from the previous K675.
Kalemba March 13, 2026