By SYLVESTER MWALE –

MORE than 70 students at the University of Zambia (UNZA) have been forced to seek alternative places to squat after an assessment revealed that their hostel that was recently burnt by police during riots is inhabitable.

Soweto hostel was gutted in November in the inferno, which started when police officers fired a flare missile that landed on one of the beds in the rooms on the third floor of the building through the window.

The damage caused by the fire is apparently more severe than previously thought.

Both UNZA management and the union have recommended that the students that occupied the rooms seek alternative rooms.

University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) vice president Martin Nundwe said the structure had developed cracks because of the fire, and students have been forced to squat.

The UNZA management and UNZASU have agreed after the assessment that the students who are currently on recess should seek alternative places when they return.

“It is only that students are currently on recess but if you can come and see how they are sleeping when they are around, you will be shocked,” Mr Nundwe said.

“The students are using the common rooms and are sleeping on sofas, this has affected them and we feel everyone is giving us a deaf ear to our problem.

Mr Nundwe said the students were in the dark on who would cover the cost of rehabilitating the building because they have not been informed on the way forward.

On claims that the police are investigating the cause of the fire, the union leader said there was nothing to investigate because it was clear to everyone that the fire was started by the police officers.

Mr Nundwe said the only alternative to cushion the critical accommodation shortage at UNZA was to allow students to occupy the former commonwealth Youth Centre offices within the campus.

The Commonwealth Youth Centre is currently occupied by the Ministry of Sports although students have been pushing the Government to hand over the centre so that it could be turned into a hostel.

UNZA public relations officer Stanslous Chewe told the Sunday Times recently that it was not clear on who would cover the cost of repairing the building.

“We decided to engage the Government in this, because UNZA is a government institution and so we want them to have a say about this, so that we know the way forward,” Mr Chewe said.