By SYCORAX NDHLOVU –

RIOTS in higher learning institutions have become a source of concern because they disrupt academic calendars, destroy properties and threaten peace and stability in Zambia.

Some students could have their own reasons for causing trouble but should that be why innocent people, their property suffer because somebody has not been paid his or her meal allowance on time.

Why trouble innocent citizens by inflicting a cost on them of repairing their damaged vehicles or seeking medical attention, and yet they fund the being some students at the university through paying various taxes to the Government.

However, according to Dr S S Khakha in ‘Organisation behaviour: Text and Cases (2012)’, behaviour is caused. Dr Khakha observes that why people behave the way they do has been a subject of much interest and concern since earliest years.

From such a premise, one can argue that students react to a stimulus or stimuli. But it can also be argued that inadequate administrative systems, wrong priorities and absence of relevant laws can promote bad behaviour in learning institutions.

Recently, some UNZA students ran amok and battled out with the police to an extent where one of the UNZA hostels was burnt and leaving one student unconscious after suspected police brutality.

It is reported that students were reacting to delays in paying their allowances.

This partially proves Dr S S Khakha’s assertion that behaviour is caused. It is in this regard one would wonder why UNZA administration did not pay students’ allowances on time.

But one would also argue that money is always a limited resource.

It is never enough. It is never always available in the quantities we want. May be this is what caused UNZA authorities to delay paying students their allowances on time. Or could one argue that money was there; except that there were wrong priorities?

Authorities in learning institutions and government authorities know well that when something takes long to resolve, students riot.

Therefore, one would argue that high authorities in learning institutions and in government should be pro-active to avoid unnecessary disturbances in learning institutions that do not only erode the image of the organisation concerned but also that such threat human life and property of respective such institutions; and in the process threat the image of the government of the day.

Nonetheless, in the past three decades or so, UNZA was known for being instrumental in directing government policy review and implementation and action for the benefit of all Zambians.

This was because while UNZA authorities, occasionally, had some lapses here and there, UNZA students at that time were mature and focused on their education and public interest; and not on personal and selfish motives.

In the past, political giants in the country never influenced UNZA students to riot.

And if such students rioted, it was due to well-thought out cause which every citizen appreciated.

And United National Independence Party (UNIP) government at that time under the leadership of Dr Kenneth Kaunda easily came in either to bail out UNZA management or changed policy direction accordingly as intellectually observed by UNZA students.

For now, it appears immaturity and political factors instigate most riots at UNZA. Unless one argues convincingly that UNZA management has worsened, one cannot understand why we have regular riots at UNZA where property is destroyed, innocent people’s vehicles and some lives are either in danger or are lost completely.

Surely, human life and property are important which cannot be lost due to negligence of duty or careless behaviour. With limited resources in government treasury; but with many other national challenges Government is facing, it is not prudent to be spending such resources on the same properties in the same institution every year in term of repair works.

By the way, there is perception that to be ‘full graduate’ one has to participate in a riot and something to show for that he or she was passed through UNZA

But can this perception be the cause of the riots where property and lives are threatened hold water? I doubt!

It is reported that most of the UNZA students that riot are those who are on bursaries while other reports state that those on self-sponsorship never ever participate in such riots.

UNZA has more riots per year than any other learning institution in Zambia. Why? Are we spending taxpayers’ money on the so-called bursaries to fuel riots at UNZA?

Many Zambians including this writer expects Government to increase annual bursaries’ allocation not only to UNZA but also to other learning institutions.

But if such bursaries fuel riots in such learning institutions; then we should think twice about sustaining bursaries in such institutions despite high poverty levels in the country and that education key in socio-economic development of any country.

It is true that UNZA students on bursaries find their life and studies miserable without being paid their allowances but they should use and exhaust the right channels in presenting their grievances otherwise their future would be questionable.

Therefore, to promote discipline, peace and stability in learning institutions; and to save taxpayers’ monies, bursaries should be scrapped; a law to guard against riots in learning institutions should be enacted; and administrative systems in learning institutions should be strengthened to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.

The idea of scrapping off bursaries and introducing loan is well thoughtful and should be implemented.