UNZA CRISIS NOT AN EMERGENCY BUT NATIONAL FAILURE – MWANZA
…says overcrowded hostels and deteriorating infrastructure had persisted for years under successive administrations
A former student leader at the University of Zambia (UNZA) has described the institution’s current challenges as a “national failure” rather than an emergency, blaming years of neglect by both government and university management.
Mr. Antonio Mourinho Mwanza, former UNZASU president, said in a statement that the situation at UNZA was being wrongly framed.
“Let us be candid–this is not an emergency,” he said. “It is the predictable outcome of years of neglect and lack of seriousness from both the government and UNZA management.”
He noted that problems such as broken sanitation systems, overcrowded hostels and deteriorating infrastructure had persisted for years under successive administrations, including the MMD, the PF and the UPND.
According to Mwanza, “the real question…is not what has happened today–but why decisive action was not taken yesterday.”
He argued that while responsibility was shared, the government bore the greater burden.
Mwanza said public universities depended on consistent funding and oversight, adding that successive governments had failed to adequately support institutions, leading to “high indebtedness and deteriorating standards of education.”
At the same time, he said UNZA management must be held accountable for failing to maintain infrastructure.
“Maintenance is not an occasional exercise–it is a continuous obligation,” he said, warning that the current state of facilities reflected “serious institutional weaknesses.”
Mwanza criticized what he described as reactive responses to the crisis, stating that “emergency meetings, press statements, and directives may signal urgency–but they remain reactive and not proactive.”
He called for structural reforms, including the creation of a ring-fenced infrastructure fund, independent financial audits, and aligning student enrolment with available infrastructure.
He also urged government to complete stalled hostel projects and settle outstanding statutory obligations to institutions such as the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA).
“Students deserve dignity,” Mwanza said, adding that education must be treated as a national priority.
He warned that failure to address systemic issues would mean the country would “continue to manage crises–rather than prevent them.”