Special Citizen’s Report

ON UNZA RIOT of 05/20/2018

wHILE
wE
sLEPT
Dedicated to Vespers Shimuzhila
Protecting Women and Youth Rights

KASONDE MWENDA C
While we slept
Dedicated to Vespers Shimuzhila

An analytical inquiry into the contentious intricacies surrounding

the UNZA RIOT of 05/10/2018

Special Citizens Report

© Kasonde Mwenda C. 2018
OurFeet Publishers

I
Copyright: Kasonde Mwenda C 2018
First published by Our Feet Publishers 2018
.
ISBN: 978 - 9982 - 70 - 478 - 6

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or

mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without
permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
brief passages in a review.

First Edition: November 2018.

ii
 Foreword

This Special Report is dedicated to Vespers Shimuzhila. A

Fourth year Student from the University of Zambia who died of
suffocation in her room in the early hours of 5th October 2018.
Trapped on her second floor dormitory room, she was chocked
to death as the smoke from a room allegedly set ablaze by a
teargas canister shot by the state police who had invaded the
University Campus following an alleged Students riotous
demonstration earlier that night.
She was in her final year with just three months remaining to
complete her four years Bachelor of Education Degree Course.
Vespers was a devoted Seventh day Adventist with exemplary
moral and academic acumen. She will be remembered as a lady
whose passion and love for God and life made her transcend
the odds of life.
Being a young lady growing in a society whose traditional
norms are challenged by academically repressive practices
such as early marriages and teen pregnancies; she against all
odds excelled and was a beacon of excellence and hope to our
society.
She goes at a time when her light was beginning to shine even
brighter. The county has lost a priceless gem in her crown of
excellence.
May her soul rest in eternal peace.

Kasonde Mwenda C

iii
Special acknowledgments and appreciation to my wife Mwiza for being my best friend.

Special thanks to the Shimuzhila family, may God almighty grant you grace and
comfort..

Special thanks to the UNZA Students and the University of Zambia workers and friends,
the Copperbelt University and all Institutions of Higher Learning in Zambia who gave
their support during the mourning period.

Special thanks to the UNZALARU, ZANASU, COBUSU, Political Parties , Music

Artists:St. Maiko Zulu, Brian Bwembya, Mark Mulaza and may more for the solidarity.

Special thanks to the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Government of the Republic of
Zambia ,

Gratitude goes to the supportive Research Team and several supporters.

More than can be listed are men and women of valor whose contribution and support
remains highly appreciated.

Many thanks to the wonderful people of Zambia .

Above all, my reverence to the Almighty God, Jehovah, for being the true author and
finisher of our lives and for giving us this rare privilege to live in a time such as this and
for giving us such a great nation, Zambia.

iv
 Prelude

‘While we slept, a lot happened on that fateful night,

something gruesome. Are we going to continue sleeping now
that we are awake?’

As long as we are human, it is our indelible duty to possess an

empathetic conscious if we are to usher as fruit what we
received as seed from this passing generation. Our failure on
this matter leaves us abhorring brutes, barbarians with a
debased mind devoid of moral purpose. If we let that happen,
the best of today will grow extinct in the valleys of greediness
and heartlessness and the generations to come will suffer
because of us.
Wherever we want to go; our feet shall take us there.

We are no longer sitting on benches of saddles of fear nor

benches of self-pity nor are we an overzealous bunch of
ungrateful infidels but a people who are hopeful that our thirst
for a positive change can only be quenched by water from the
well dug with our own hands and that the only the sweat of our
palms will oil the wheels of our rusty Country.

Kasonde Mwenda C

v
Sympathy , Compassion or promises are not a substitute for
justice and since the dead cannot cry out for their justice; it is
a duty of all of us the living to do so for them. Wherever we want
to go, our feet shall take us there.

vi
Table of Contents

Foreword iii

Prelude v

Chapter 1
While we slept. Eulogy 1
Chapter 2
ROOT CAUSE. No smoke without fire 5
Chapter 3
Graphical Analysis 17
Chapter 4
Light across a cloud. Right to Life 25
Chapter 5
Why bother? Memory lane 29
Chapter 6
Blood on whose hands? Perspectives 33
Chapter 7
Reforms. Way forward 37
Chapter 8
The need for PEACE 41

Epilogue. Emancipation 47

Photo Galleries 51
Appendix 55

vii
‘Wherever we want to go our feet shall take us there yet like
in every revolution, there is no going half way; those who
give up dig only their graves.’

viii
Chapter 1

While we slept
Eulogy

Beauty for Ashes

-to all who mourn, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a
joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of
despair-they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting
of the Lord, that he may be glorified- Isaiah 61:3

Eulogy
While we slept
While we slept in the comfort of our beds
Yes while this nation was deep in sleep
While we slept on that fateful day
Yes while we were sleeping, an innocent girl died.
As the sun sought its feet and started to prepare for a new day,
the end came swiftly.
It was just two past midnight and the earliest rooster had not
sounded the herald of tidings yet while the nation was sleeping
a thief came and robbed us of a fine damsel.
As the noise of rumbling feet and popping canisters finally
faded away in the gloom of darkness, it was time to number the
loss and from the rumble of chaos was found a princess.
Shroud in black chocking soot and ash, was she left for dead.
Having battled unhelped in forced solitude, forsaken by all- left
for dead as all fled from the smouldering canisters and blinding
flames. Gasping in the mangle of pain, the darkness came and
swallowed her light.
A light that she so cherished was blown out for her against her
wish. It was still dark as the valour of young men screamed for
a clearing of the way for her . Her who had not had the feet to
gallop through the four hours of noise and incessant shooting of
teargas canisters. It was still dark and chaotic yet in that depth
of gloom a damsel lay still on the cold floor.
1
Not given to the folly pulse of the moment and untamed
jubilance of youth, Vespers had retreated to the safety of her
room and it was during her retreat that she was caught and
trapped in the cloud of soot. The mixture of black smoke, heat
and teargas fumes imbued the space between the walls of her
room and saturated it with death.
Caught between a rock and a hard place. Unable to jump from
the third level floor where her roommate had jumped and got
her spine broken in many places, the mystery of death knocked
on her door and the call was too much. Chocked and suffocated
to death by the killer smoke, her time came before time.
Creeping beneath the door, through the keyhole, the death in
smoke found her on her knees.
Survival was left on a thin stochastic line as the chocking
smoke permeated the every possible opening of her room.
Before long, her room was engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke
and it was too late.
What happens when a nation loves sleep too much, our sons
and daughters are murdered in cold blood.
While we are sleeping our nation is being looted, ravaged by
carnivorous gluttons and selfish blood sucking vampires who
wear a familiar face.
While we are sleeping the vultures which were hovering over
our heads as we died slowly have descended on the defenceless
lot, preying on our defenceless children, biting off their
carcasses, blood dripping flesh as they walk, yet still we sleep.
While we were snoring our children are been gassed and
smoked like in the holocaust by our own brothers and sisters
meant to protect them.
Yes, while we slept, the safe abode of our daughter's hostels are
turned into death chambers.
2
How long shall our sleep be? For how long are we going to
sleep? How long?

‘While we slept, a lot happened on that fateful night,

something gruesome. Are we going to continue sleeping now
that we are awake?’

3
 ‘The pursuit for Justice is not a journey for wimps, those
who walk it should be prepared to shoulder the burden of its
weight.’

4
Chapter 2

ROOT CAUSE
'No smoke without fire'

The contention in this publication is of a very elaborate but

explicable nature. Unlike most other demonstrations and riots
which have been started either by the Students union body of
splinter groups of the same, or just some forces within or
outside the students body, this particular one starts on a
backdrop of a leadership vacuum. It happens at a 'Unionless'
University following the Minister of Higher Education Prof.
Nkandu Luo's suspension of Union Activities in notable
Universities and Colleges in the Country.
The suspension of the Student Union activities according to
the Minister of Higher Education Prof. Nkandu Luo, was
because students' union leaders were only talking to her about
the bursaries (allowances) and not about other important
things which were happening in their Universities. She
explained in Parliament on the 2ndNovember 2017 that all
students were free to engage her individually without going
through the Students Union representatives.
“..I said I suspended (Students Union bodies). Students cannot
only speak through their representatives, they can engage me. I
can go to UNZA, CBU like I have done so that each student
expresses their issues.”
It is only in hindsight where we can understand the genesis of
chaos and misinformation which had rocked the University of
Zambia before the fateful day that saw a student killed. The
moment the Minister of Higher Education stepped in and
suspended the Student Union body at UNZA and other
institutions of higher Learning; most legitimately established
channels of communications which were previously working
between the Government Bodies like her office and other
5
support offices like the Loans and Scholarships Board
(HELSB) (formerly Bursaries Office), internal University
Management organs such as the office of the Dean of Students
which houses departments such as sports and recreation, social
and academic clubs was instantly curtailed or disturbed. In
principle a communication vacuum was created the moment
the minister suspended the students unions. And as a matter of
nature, a vacuum needs to be filled. According to the advice of
the Minister of higher education the communication channels
were made open directly to her office. Those words of hers may
sound populist yet the minister knows too well that it is
preposterously impractical. Firstly it is not possible for all
students to individually go and line up at her office and get an
appointment to see her over the issues effecting them. So
understanding that it was practically impossible to get to her
and have her attend to their issues, students were thrown into a
dilemma that left them without a known system of
communicating their grievances .
History has shown that not having leadership is worse than
having bad leadership. It is now exactly a year since the
Minister of Higher Education suspended the Union bodies in
Universities and other institutions of higher learning and as
would have been expected, there had been a relative calm and
very few incidences of demonstration and violent agitations
from students. From a distance and within a short period of
time, that move the minister took may have looked like a great
idea and solution to ending disturbances in institutions of
higher learning . The situation that had been created can be
likened to a nation that decided to abolish a government
because they are uncomfortable with its leadership. Well as that
is the norm world over, the next step is to have another group of
people brought in to replace the undesired one yet that was not
the case. The unions were removed but not replaced with
anything equal in leadership efficacy. In her wisdom, the
Minister decided to just leave a vacuum expecting it to be filled
naturally by other bodies and persons within the University and
from wherever possible. 6
She was right because that was exactly what happened. The
University of Zambia student body became highly polarized
and received guidance and information flow from whoever
spoke and screamed loudest. It became a jungle of information.
Whoever could scheme and deliver his or her massage in the
most believable fashion carried the day and the students were
led like that. The danger with that environment is that no one
takes responsibility. Students Union bodies however good or
bad have a duty first to themselves as individual students
because in case of a mishap history in this country shows that
student union leaders are among the most expelled for their
decisions and those of other students.
Well, that said bring us to the understanding that as soon as
there was no recognized and known dialogue system to
disseminate information, the information that was being
gathered by students and spread to students was at most times
without authentication. It can be argued that the tasks and
duties that were previously done by the Students Union Body
were naturally relegated to Academic associations of students
within the students' body and some other leadership systems
within the University structures. Well, let it be understood that
the Students Union Body is a very specialised and complex
body whose work is phenomenal and cardinal in keeping the
Universities and Higher learning Institutions functioning
normally. Student Union Bodies do more than just talk to
government official like the Minister of Higher education,
actually that is just one of the least duties. The Students Union
Body leadership attends to fellow students concerns and
problems more than anything else. Student Unions speak on
behalf of Students to the management, runs and anchors a lot of
University activities both academic and social. The students
Union as a body is also a spring board for future leadership
both at national and international levels. Of course more than
once history records moments and incidences when the
students Union body had brought up demonstrations and riots
which have been unpleasant and sad yet it can also be
appreciated that the same unions have at time been the only
7
strong voice of conscious that has brought light and hope to
this country when moments have been dark and no one was
brave enough to speak out.
The students' Union Body has to be understood for what it
really is unlike being seen as just a group of student whose sole
duty is to go and complain about allowances at the Minister of
Higher Education's office. The Students Union Body is not a
whimsical idea of gratitude created to appease students which
should be evoked or revoked at the express will of the Minister;
it is an express product of the Laws of Zambia. It is constituted
and formed under the Higher Education Act of 2013, PART IV.

The Higher Education Act states that (27.) (1) There shall be a
students' union in a higher education and that (3) All
registered students of the higher education institution shall be
members of the students' union.
(4) A students' union shall have a constitution which shall
provide for such matters as may be prescribed.
With this provision in the laws withstanding it is worth
appreciating that the same law that instituted the Students
Union body is the same law that guides the operations of the
Minister. While it is understood that the Minister of Higher
Education has been given powers to manage institutions of
higher Education and the Ministry of Higher Education as a
whole, it is important that we analyse these powers and see if
they are being used rightly and justly. Firstly the Higher
Education Act speaks in a very general way and does not say
anything about the powers of the Minister as regards
disciplining or interfering with Students Union Bodies.
According to Part 3 Chapter 13 section 1 of the Higher
Education Act, the minister is empowered to give directives to
Higher Learning Institutions in two ways; general and specific
directives. Yet what the Act does not hesitate to mention is that
these directives that the Minister is empowered to give should
8
be consistent with national policies and provisions of this Act.
Powers of the Minister according to the Act should not be
arbitrary and limitless.

'13. (1) The Minister may give to a higher education

institution general or specific directives which are consistent
with the national policies and the provisions of this Act.’

According to the Higher Education Act, the other

consideration that should be taken by the Minister when
issuing a directive is that those directives should be in the
interest of the higher learning institutions themselves. The
only other time when there should be action by the Minister
towards an institution of Higher Learning is when it is in the
interest of the Higher Learning Institution.
This is contained in the Act as follows:

(2) A higher education institution shall keep the Minister

informed of matters of public interest concerning it and shall
furnish the Minister with such information as the Minister may
request on any particular matter concerning the higher
education institution.(3) The Minister may, where the Minister
reasonably believes that it is necessary to do so, take such
steps as the Minister considers
necessary in the best interest of the higher education
institution.

According to the Higher education Act of 2013, apart from the

Institutions of Higher Learning managements themselves, the
only other body that is mandated to interact and directly
manage the affairs of students is the Higher Education
Authority. This body though subordinate to the Minister's
office because it advises the minister; it is in itself a corporate
9
body established under the Higher Education Act and has
power to do all such acts as a body corporate may, by law, do or
perform.
‘
“4. (1) There is hereby established the Higher Education
Authority which shall be a body corporate with perpetual
succession and a common seal, capable of suing and being
sued in its corporate name and shall, subject to the provisions
of this Act, have power to do all such acts as a body corporate
may, by law, do or perform.”
This body is not headed by the Minister. According to the Laws
of this country, this body is headed by the Director General. It
can be argued that the Minister has power to do almost anything
she deems fit to the Institutions of Higher learning using the
arbitrary powers accorded to her in this same Act but then that
becomes problematic because those same powers that the
mister may site as having been used to suspend the Students
Union Body are actually specifically given to the Management
Body of Higher learning Institutions under the Office of the
Dean of Students where the Act says:

PART IV STUDENTS (26.) There shall be a students' affairs

unit under the supervision of the Dean of Students in a higher
education institution which shall organise, coordinate and
administer students' affairs.

With that clause in perspective why is the office of the Minister

of Higher Learning doing the work of the Office of the Dean of
Students? If that is alright then it shouldn't be surprising to hear
that the Minister is now firing government employees and not
the Human Resource departments in specific institutions.
Actually, it beats common professional and ethical practice for
the Office of the Minister of Higher Education to usurp the
10
duties of the office of the Dean of Students for the Higher
Institutions of Learning. This is not a mere allegation on the
minister because she is on record telling Parliament that
Students do not need to go through representatives but they
need to go straight to her and that she is the one who suspended
the unions in Institutions of Higher Learning.
Having been a former student Union President at University
and Member of the University Council, I saw it as a challenged
judgement when people in authority made that big decisions
based on the reason that was brought to parliament by the
Honourable Minister of Higher education Prof. Nkandu Luo.
Unless there are other reasons which the nation is not preview
to; the one that was rendered in parliament on the 2nd of
November 2017 as the reason for suspending Student Union
Bodies leaves much to be desired from our celebrated
academician and Member of Parliament.
Let us get back to lookint at how that confusion at UNZA
happened following the suspension of Students Unions. As
days turned into months and eventually a year, the
communication system within and among students had ranged
from random memos stuck on notice boards, sms and mostly
social media platform. In principle social media pages and
group admins became the new Student Union leaders. While
the legitimate Student Union elected by students for
themselves remained annihilated, a hybrid Union was born on
cyberspace. A union that was not elected or chosen but one that
cleverly found an intelligent way to communicate and
influence students. Credit cannot be taken away from the
admins of these groups and pages because their efficiency was
unparalleled and in some ways were even more efficient in
spreading information than the now Suspended Students
Union. The biggest downside of this social media based
Students Body is that it had no deliberate duty and was not
answerable to anyone because it was not created and appointed
by anyone. In short it appointed itself and was only answerable
11
to self. The only thing that precipitated its formation was a
vacuum that was created following the suspension of the
students Union Body.
It is obvious that the disbarment of unions could have been
thought as a way to cripple and strangle the possibility of any
student led anti-government resistance yet the leadership
vacuum that was inevitably creatednat the University of
Zambia following that decision is at the core of the misfortunes
that proceeded.
From a purely student's perspective, the events unfold as
follows: th
Thursday 4 October, 2018: A message updating the UNZA
students populous about the state of the expected meal
allowance hits social media. The message which was backed
by a picture of some students posing with the Director of
Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) -
(formerly called Bursaries Committee) Madam Ireen Chirwa
went viral. Because the message was accompanied by picture
evidence of some students meeting relevant authorities , it was
believable enough and thus carried the day against other
competing messages over the state of the overdue student
Stipend.
According to some students' interviewed, the Government had
earlier paid the first payment to cover the first 70 days 3 weeks
after the University earlier this year when this academic year
started. However the days paid for had elapsed hence the
students were expecting the other final half for the remaining
69 days pay. It was at this moment that the lack of a Students
Union Body manifested visibly. As expected, a good number of
students who depend entirely on that Government Funded
Project had run out of food and groceries for their upkeep. At
the moment the students' meal allowance package is at K22. 50
per (average $2.3) day. Other allowances which are paid a little
later in the course of the term such as Project allowance for
those in final years also expected to be paid.
12
It was under such an umbrella of circumstances that the
Students body at the University of Zambia needed to be
communicated to concerning the reason behind the delay but
there was no definite channels because such communications
come through the Students Union body which remained
suspended .
At first a rumor went round the University Campus that
Government did not have money and that students were only
going to be paid half amount of the expected total sum.
Anyhow, before that story could take root a much more
convincing rumor came and replaced the earlier because it had
photo evidence of students talking to the Government
authorities responsible for disbursing the student allowances.
The new message that started trending read as follows:
-“we met Ms Ireen Chirwa yesterday she couldn't tell us the
exact date to when (we) will receive our BC (meal Allowance)
but she said soon as the pressure we are giving them is the same
they are giving ministry of Finance. Otherwise same situation
no new updates concerning BC“-
High hunger levels among students and disturbing messages
like this one above authentication by a number of pictures of
students standing with Ms Ireen Chirwa and lack of proper
communications channels were the genesis of the
demonstration. Actually, a number of students interviewed
argue that what later blew up to proportions of a riot when the
police came in was meant not to be so. Initially students just
wanted to scream and make harmless commotion around the
University compass as a way to remind the Government
authorities in charge of disbursing the allowances that time was
up and they were still waiting.
This message circulated in the afternoon of Thursday and by
22: 00hrs the same day the message was well spread and almost
every affected student was updated about the uncertainty of
their delayed pay.
13
It was that cloud of uncertainty and lack of leadership that
otherwise is provided by the Students Union executive that a
handful of students decided to organize a group of students to
make some noise so that the government could quickly take
notice and look into the students delayed allowance. With that
as the main motive, between fifty and seventy students started
to march from Kalingalinga Hostels (a male hostel) and started
walking towards the ruins enroute to the road. As a way of
moving mass, the group was shouting calling on everybody to
join them go to the road. It was around 10:00pm and by
11:00pm the students who had partly blocked one side of Great
East road with stones and a burning tyre retreated to the
University campus upon hearing that the police were on their
way. It has been explained that the time the police mobilized
and reinforced for a full anti-riot operation they found that the
students who had gone to the road had retreated and almost
dispersed. It was from that moment that it is alleged that the
police officers decided to advance and descend into the
University campus with loads and loads of teargas canisters.
The shooting of teargas canisters at an almost calm campus
save for a few running students in a way galvanised and
provoked the attention of other students whose majority were
asleep by then. As more and more teargas canisters were fired at
the hostels especially the ladies hostel in the heart of the
university campus called October hostels were the most
affected. It has been reported in the media that the police
suspected that the students who were at the roadside
demonstration were hiding there at the ladies hostels. By the
time it was 01:00am the morning of Friday the UNZA campus
was alive because almost everyone was running from the
police and their teargas. However the situation, there were
some students who chose to just lock themselves up in their
rooms with the hope that the unfortunate activities will
eventually die down and calm will find them in their room. By
around 02:00am of Friday, just when calm was returning a
resurgence of teargas canisters shots was heard again . It was
during this late firing when the worst and unimaginable
14
atrocity happened.
One of the rooms on the topmost floor of the ladies hostel
(October 21) was set on fire allegedly caused by a teargas
canister that was shot into this room through the window by the
police. It is alleged that the teargas canister fell behind the
fridge and the thus caused an instant explosion that set the
room into a big fire. The owners of the room fled from the fire
after a failed attempt to put the fire out. Being the first room on
a long corridor of second floor, the flames and smoke from that
room instantly cut off the only exit for those in the other rooms
from escaping. Itwas no longer possible for those in the other
four rooms to leave the rooms along this corridor. The fire was
so big that the power supply for the whole block cut off. As the
soot from burning mattresses and electrical appliances
engulfed the passage and all the other rooms on this floor the
only feasible way to survived for those who were trapped up
there was to jump through the window. The window is about
5m from the ground and part of the ground is covered by a
concrete drain.
It was only later realized that Room 25 which is the room at the
furthest end of this corridor had its two occupants trapped
inside. As the smoke and heat depleted the little oxygen in that
dark room, one of the inhabitant jumped through the window
and crushed to the ground breaking her spine in several places.
At time passed it became too late for the other young lady to
jump as the smoke overtook her. She suffocated and died. A
little while later, a number of young male students mobilized a
search operation to see if there were any casualtiesin any of the
room after the fire was finally put off. Their search was met to a
harsh revelation as they stumbled in to a lifeless colleague of
theirs who they found lying on the floor. The young men
quickly cleared the way and lifted her out of the room. She was
rushed outside and later taken to Levy Teaching Hospital
where she was declared brought in dead.
On the other side, Evernyn Choongo who was Vespers
roommate survived after jumping out of the smoke filled room
through the window. She sustained a broken spine and
multiple leg injuries.
15
‘If we do not maintain justice , justice will not maintain
us. It is Vespers today, tomorrow your child’

16
Chapter 3

Graphical Analysis
How it happened

To get a clearer upclose glimpse of how the events of that

atrocious night unfolded , we will begin by reviewing the
interviews which were conducted on the of eye witnesses on
the actual morning of the misfortune that caused the death and
injury to the Students under review.
Interview 1
Accident Scene interview at the University of Zambia October
2 Hostel by Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
(ZNBC) reporter and Miriam Manda (UNZA Student whose
room was burnt). This interview happened in the morning on
the actual incidence day 05/10/2018
Miriam: I don't know if people have seen some of the pillows near the
fence-curtains-I tried to throw them through the window so that the
fire could stop, I tried but the fire continued-Like it was going to the
other side of the room. That is how come I had to go out of the room
because it was more like teargas was chocking me together with the
smoke--and the only thing I could get were my phone and the other
roommate's Mercy's phone-
Reporter: Is that what happened?
Miriam:Yes that is what happened
Reporter: so what did you manage to get?
Miriam: just this (showing her phone) I was actually naked--all these
clothes I am wearing right now I just had to get them from somewhere
Reporter: you've lost everything?
Miriam: everything-
Reporter: so the fire was because by the teargas?
17
Miriam: yes by the teargas-
Reporter: how are your friends?
Miriam: they are all fine, they are just traumatized.

Interview 2
Interview of Everntyn Choongo (female second year UNZA
student in the School of Education who jumped and got out
of the room filled with smoke and got injured) at the
Hospital. Date 06/10/2018
Everntyn: I jumped because I couldn't see anything, because of the
smoke my eyes were burning. So I jumped but the other girl managed
to climb down the wall
Interviewer: So they are okay those girls?
Everntyn: Umm. And then the other girl that passed on was on the
other side of the room-we were in the same room
Interviewer: In the same room?
Everntyn: Umm.

Graphical Analysis of the Building where the accident

happened .

LAYOUT PLAN/FLOOR PLAN

Architectural Space Analysis
To understand the context of events that ended up confining
Vespers and her roommate in their room, may I invite us to look
at the architectural design and circulation system oftheir hostel
block and understand how they got trapped when the fire broke
out.

18
OCTOBER 2 HOSTEL - UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA Figure 1.
LAYOUT PLAN

FIRE ESCAPE ROOM VICTIM’S ROOM

(ROOM 25 WHERE

25 VESPERS SUFFOCATED )

WINDOW WHERE
EVERNTYN JUMPED
NARROW CORRIDOR

AND GOT INJURED

NARROW CORRIDOR
24
TINY [600MMX600MM]
WINDOWS

23

22
ROOM BURNING ROOM
(ROOM 25 WHERE

21 THE FIRE WAS )

WINDOW WHERE THE

ALEDGED TEARGAS FIRED
BY POLICE CANISTER
GOT IN TO START THE FIRE

19
 Figure 1.
As a matter of interest we will understand that the room where
Vespers was residing is room 25. It is in this same room where
she got trapped and suffocated following the outbreak of fire in
Room 21 which is just three rooms away. Room 25 is
characteristically peculiar in many ways. Firstly it is at the
furthest room in that narrow corridor servicing four rooms and
an ablution block of one half of October Hostel 2. The corridor
is about 1100mm wide. Ideally that distance is only ideal in a
domestic setting like a house and not in a mass public transit
space like a hostel. The ideal space for a corridor is in such a
building should be atleast 1500mm wide to about 2000mm. The
reason why the corridor should be this wide in a public building
likethis hostel is to allow free passage of at least two people
going in opposite direction carrying objects like a bucket easily.
That is definitely not possible in such a corridor. When one is
coming with a bucket, the other one has to get back or squeeze
the bucket if two are to meet in the corridor. This corridor is
about 3000mm high and is poorly ventilated and lit such that
even during theday the lights have to be on for proper visibility.
Ventilation is even worse. The whole corridor which is about
8m long has only three tiny windows (600mm x600m). The
windows are so small they look like a maximum prison cell
windows.
The other contentious feature about these hostels design is the
position of the fire escape staircase. One side of the hostel has
completely no fire escape stair case or any fire escape
provision.

20
 OCTOBER 2 HOSTEL - UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA Figure 2.
POSSIBLE ESCAPE ROUTES BEFORE
THE FIRE OUTBREAK
VICTIM’S ROOM
(ROOM 25 WHERE
FIRE ESCAPE ROOM VESPERS SUFFOCATED )

A A
B WINDOW 25 WINDOW
WINDOW WHERE
EVERNTYN JUMPED

24 AND GOT INJURED

NARROW CORRIDOR

NARROW CORRIDOR

TINY [600MMX600MM]
WINDOWS

23
B 22
ROOM
BURNING ROOM
C 21 (ROOM 25 WHERE
THE FIRE WAS )

WINDOW WHERE THE

ALEDGED TEARGAS FIRED
BY POLICE CANISTER
GOT IN TO START THE FIRE

C
ACCESS STAIRCASE
21
 Figure 2

From the victim's room (room 25) it can be seen from the
drawing that there are atleast three ways to escape in case of a
fire outbreak in room 25. The first one is a route labelledC
(orange path). This route involves passing through the corridor
and walking about 20m before one reaches the access stairs.
The second escape route in case of a fire in room 25 is use the
corridor but turn right into the ablution to connect to the other
side of the hostel block then turn right again after entering the
corridor before one reaches the fire escape stairs at the end. The
distance one need s to cover along this path is about 21m.
The final possibility for escape is route A. route A is a desperate
option as it meant jumping from the window to the ground at
about 5m.
These architectural observations on the floor plan are very
important in understanding how the fire trapped the student
and led to the suffocation to death of one.

22
 OCTOBER 2 HOSTEL - UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA Figure 3.
POSSIBLE ESCAPE ROUTES AFTER
THE FIRE OUTBREAK

FIRE ESCAPE ROOM VICTIM’S ROOM

(ROOM 25 WHERE

A A VESPERS SUFFOCATED )

B WINDOW 25 WINDOW

24
NARROW CORRIDOR
NARROW CORRIDOR

23
FIRE AND
B SMOKE FROM
ROOM 21
BLOCKS THE
WAYROOM
TO
C ESCAPE
21 BURNING ROOM
(ROOM 25 WHERE
THE FIRE WAS )

C
ACCESS STAIRCASE 23
 Figure 3

This figure depicts what happen on that fateful day. The fire
started in room 21 where it is alleged that the teargas canister
fired by the police landed and started a fire. The fire quickly
grew and this blocked the narrow passage. The fire and smoke
from room 21 cut off those who were in room 22, room 23,
room 24 and most definitely those in room 25 at the far end. As
the fire increased in room 21, the escape routes C and D were
cut off. The only remaining escape route was route A which
represents jumping off the window which is about 5m from the
ground. Apart from cutting the route and blocking the way, the
burning things in room 21 was producing toxic fumes and
smoke that was getting out through the corridor into the rooms.
With all the routes practically blocked, the two occupants of
room 25 at that time were trapped inside their room. One of
them, Evelyn Choongo managed to jump to the ground.
Although she was badly injured she survived. On the other
hand, Vespers who is alleged to have helped the fiend jump to
safety was overpowered by the smoke and suffocated to death
in the room before she could jump. She was only discovered
later after the fire had been put off. Although she was rushed to
the University clinic and eventually to the hospital, she did not
make it.

24
Chapter 4

Light across a cloud

Right to Life

As the plane tumbled down breaking and shattering hearts of

Zambians and the footballing fraternity across the world, the
year 1993 still managed to promise hope to this country and
more certainly to a far skewed rural town of Kantengwa in
Namwala District of Zambia's Southern Province. In that year
when the country mourned the loss of the unforgettable
Zambia National football team that perished in the sea when
the plane they were in crashed on their way to Senegal to play
their FIFA world cup qualifier; like a flickering ray of light
across a dark morning cloud, Vespers Shimuzhila was born.

Vespers, a third born girl child of the Shimuzhila family

brought joy and hope not only to her family but her society as a
whole when she started excelling highly at school as a very
little girl. Her discipline, hardworking and commitment to the
teachings of her church made her exceptionally admirable and
in just a short time she was soaring high in everything she did.
Having started her primary school right there in Kantengwa,
she passed her exams and was admitted at Njase Secondary
School before she came to the University of Zambia after a
single year stint at Rusangu University.
25
At the age of age of 25 this year(2018), Vespers was due to
complete her Barchelor's degree with a major in Adult
Education and thus poised to become the shining light that her
family and community in Namwala have waited since 1993.
That was not to be because the long awaited princess from
Namwala could not hold her neck for a crown. Her life was cut
short before her graduation time that stood just two months
away.

If there is a right that transcends all, it is the right to life and

Vespers Shimunzhila had that right.

It is not by coincidence that the right to life is a fundamental

human right which embodies all the other human rights
because without life no one can enjoy any other rights. It is in
this regard that when one is robbed of the right to life, such a
one is robbed the enjoyment of all their fundamental human
rights. With that appreciation, we need to appreciate that every
human life is important and deserves protection.

Article 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia

demands for the protection of the right to life for all its citizens.
That withstanding, it is criminal under the laws of Zambia for
someone to take away a life.

Nobody including the government has permission to end a life

of an innocent citizen. Actually, more than anybody the
government has a duty to take appropriate steps to protect life
by making and enforcing laws requisite to protect lives of
people and when people are found in circumstances where life
is threatened with death, the government has a duty to quell life
threatening risks. Government's duty also involves making
26
 decisions that does not put the lives of the people in danger and
if a person dies in circumstances that involve the state like the
case was for Vespers Shimuzhila, the deceased person has a
right to a state sanctioned investigation. The state has a duty to
investigate this highly suspicious death.Although there are
exemptions as to when the right of life is not breached such as
when a public authority such as police uses necessary force to
an extent that is reasonably justifiable to prevent a person from
carrying out unlawful violence, or when stopping a riot or
uprising it is important to understand that the death of
VespersShimuzhila in her dormitory room where she
suffocated because of the smoke and teargas allegedly caused
by the police leaves raises a lot of concern an unless other by no
means a ground to take her life away from her.According to a
number of eye witnesses, it can be deduced that Vespers was an
innocent student who did not even take part in the
demonstration earlier that evening but became a victim and
died at the hands of gruesome Police brutality and no manner of
twisting tales will ever make her a riotous villain. Like every
other human being, she deserved the protection of the police
not death by the people meant to protect her. Unless the inquest
proves otherwise, the only crime Vespers did and was killed for
was that of being a student seeking to get an education.
The investigation into her death is not a whimsical privilege
that the government can either give or withhold, no. The
government has a duty to investigate this death and deliver
justice to this young citizen whose life was cut is such a horrific
and savage way.
Failure to provide justice for Vespers will condemn this nation
to a shameful precedence of self-dehumanization and lack of
respect for our own lives and that of the general citizenry. This
is an opportunity for this country to open a new leaf for a
27
responsible future.
Wherever we want to go;our feet shall take us there.

28
Chapter 5

Why bother?
Memory Lane
If it were not for what we have seen happen, we wound not
even ask or have much concern. We would have just sat back
with hope and trust that the right thing will be done and justice
will be served expediently and professionally regardless of
who is involved.
Nine long years ago, an array of events took away my innocent
trust of our government governance systems. Our question of
state's integrity and resolve in handling issues concerning
students in institutions of Higher learning is not without
reason. Not that our governments are overly bad or crude, no,
but for long we have seen the system lapse when we need it
awake. We have seen the state blatantly lie and abuse its
citizens in many instances. In cases like the one at hand, we
have seen political expediency override justice and integrity.
It is in instances like these when we have seen innocent
students sacrificed and their futures destroyed by politicians
just to appease the powers that be. I remember how in March
2009 the entire Copperbelt University Student Union
Executive was expelled indefinitely from the Copperbelt
University without seeing any investigation or any interviews
or interrogations by anyone. All that happened because a
certain minister of education at that time decided that we be
expelled for questioning her decisions. Protocol was thrown to
the wind. How they came up with a decision that the whole
students' Union body of which I was President should be
expelled remains a mystery because we were never questioned
or even charged with any offence. The only offence we had
committed was being student Union Leaders and refusing to
apologize for things we had notth done. Remaining with a few
months to complete my 5 years Degree Course in
Architecture, I was expelled. The sequence of events that led to
29
that strange expulsion without trial were fast. Firstly we had
demanded that the Government should not abolish the Student
Bursary/Loan initiative Scheme. In trying to avoid explosive
demonstrations, I decided to undergo a lone hunger strike and
slept at the Mposamabwe Freedom Statue in Kitwe. After two
days the Town Clerk then Mr. Ali Simwinga, came in the
evening and asked me to leave the CBD premises. The
paramilitary police came at night and ferried me back to the
University campus.
Our voice that Government should reconsider its move to
abolish student sponsorship in Higher learning institutions was
slowly gaining ground so we could not let it die. In that regard, I
decided to embark on a lone walking protest from Kitwe to
Lusaka with a view to gather petitions so that the president can
look at it and advise the Ministry of education to let the Bursary
Scheme continue.
The walking was strenuous but it was well covered by the
media and by the time I reached Kapiri _Mposhi after 5 days,
the Republican President then, Mr. Rupiah Banda heeded to
our cry and restored the sponsorship to all the students who had
been accepted into Copperbelt University and the University of
Zambia.
That settled, the government told me to stop the walking protest
and go to Lusaka and meet the Education Permanent Secretary.
We succeeded on that front and to date the government of
Zambia still give loans to students who qualify into Higher
learning institutions but have no capacity to pay the fees.
Time passed quickly until the university had sanitation
problems. Coupled with delayed meal allowances, students
demonstrated. It was a different case. The police surrounded
the Copperbelt University and opened gun fired at students
who were in the University Campus. A second year
Engineering student called Cornelius Mwape who was walking
by was shot in the stomach. His fellow students rushed him to
the hospital and after an operation, he recovered and was able to
complete his studies a few years later. As usual the State Police
promised to investigate the shooting matter. That was in the
year 2009, to date no report or investigation has
30
 ever been done. Evidence was all over the place but Cornelius
has never seen any Justice over the police shooting.
It was after that moment when we stretched our passion and
demanded that the President should transfer Hon. Dora Siliya
from heading the Ministry of Education to another ministry
because we were of the view that she was not making decisions
consummate for the prosperity of the Education System in
Zambia.
We wish we knew. She was the apple of the president's eye and
that demand coupled with some other trumped up charges
which we were never even availed to us earned us instant
expulsion from the University. To date I have never seen
justice. Had it not been for the late Republican President Mr.
MichaelChilufya Sata who reinstated me back into university
to complete my studies, I would have lost out completely.
In the year of the Lord 2012, the City of Lusaka was awoken to
the gruesome murder of a female National Institute for Public
Administration (NIPA) student by the name of Ruth Mbandu.
We were promised an investigation yet to date we have not
seen any result and the life of Ruth has not seen justice.
Now at the close of the year 2018, we have Vespers who died in
her room at the University of Zambia from suffocation
following the police's invasion of the Students Hostels. As
usual we have been promised an investigation and a proper
inquest.
We have hope but why should we believe that there will be
justice for Vespers from the state?
Why should we have hope that our government will have the
integrity this time around to honour its duty to investigate
innocent lives that perish in circumstance that demand for an
investigation?
If we could get help from elsewhere we surely wouldn't be
knocking at this door of our Republican President. Yet we are
knocking at this door because we believe that we have a
Republican Head of State who is capable of doing the right
thing if he wishes. He has a choice to look away like how some
of his predecessors did or he can look at this problem head on
31
and make a difference by delivering us the Justice for Vespers.
Students in Higher learning are our children, they are our
future. We have a duty to raise them into a great Nation. We are
on duty because we have a duty.
We have hope that this is our country and we all have a role to
play. Wherever we want to go; Our Feet shall take us there.

32
Chapter 6

Blood on whose hands?

Perspectives
UNZA established in 1965 as Zambia's fountain of knowledge
for the new independent Nation. It was however only until
March 1966 when classes begun. Initially the lectures and
accommodation for students was not at the current location but
near present day UTH at a place called Coppenheimer
College. The Construction of the Great East Campus which
commenced in 1966 only completed in 1968.
Policy changed in the mid-1980 when government introduced
a system that allowed the bursaries committee to pay student
who were on government sponsorship their meal allowances,
project allowances while tuition and accommodation fees
were paid directly to the university. Student under the bursary
scheme were also provided with beddings and a small keepup
allowance.
What is paradoxical is that the fall of KK was highly
choreographed by his own trusted creations. Although chief
among them were the once all-powerful UNIP women groups
who massively absconded the 1991 polls thus weakening his
political support base. As if abandoning him by the UNIP
women was not enough, it was his other creation; the
University of Zambia UNZA students who ignited the
political inferno that consumed the last pastures of his urban
strongholds. Having founded the University of Zambia in
1966 following a country wide fundraising campaign where
citizens were donating whatever they could afford towards the
construction of Zambia's first University, it was that same
institution that started the 1990 riots and thus precipitated the
winds of change that blew away his presidency.
The first recorded clash between the Government of Zambia
and University of Zambia students can be traced back to
Wednesday 7thJuly 1971. The entire UNZASU executive was
33
expelled on a charge of authoring a letter that was deemed
arrogant and insulting to his Excellency the Republican
President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. Most notable among the
expelled was the late former Finance Minister Ronald Penza.
The vice chancellor was Prof. Lameck Goma. According to
PatrickWele in his book Zambia's Most Famous Dissidents;
the University students on this day marched and demonstrated
at the French Embassy against the French Government's arms
deal by permitting South Africa to manufacture French Mirage
fighter bomber under licence. Two days later Dr. Kenneth
Kaunda made a statement that the demonstration on this issue
should stop.
From that time to date the University of Zambia has seen
several demonstrations and riots and notable among them is the
1991 demonstration that precipitated the fall of the KK
dynasty.
Student demonstrations happen for a lot of reasons. Some
good, some not.
Higher institutions are without doubt the only place that has the
total representation of the Zambian society. From the furthest
rural villages to the most affluent and elite family, the Higher
Institutions create that boiling pot of ideas and cultures. Instead
of looking at it as a curse, we would benefit more if we looked
at it as an opportunity to raise a generation that will develop and
transform this nation. We should appreciate the age
demographic makeup of Students in Institutions of higher
learning. Most are in their formative state and if that is
appreciated, the right investment can be administered. They
are in the teachable stage. They should be allowed to learn
leadership among other things. That should not be denied of
them. They need to have students Unions that they themselves
run without undue influence for government and opposition
politicians. It is no wonder that the Law of this land prescribes
so in through the Higher Education Act as it did in the
University Act of 1999. But a critical look at our Acts already
shows our intolerance and hesitation to promote students
leadership. This is evidenced in the manner the recent Act
34
(Higher Education Act of 2013) diluted powers of a once
formidable Students Union as was prescribed in the
University Act of 1999.
If we are to look at the political history of Zambia we realize
that political Leaders that have governed this country at the
zenith have mostly come through the Unions. The first
republican president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda was a Unionist and
so were second Republican President Jacob Titus Chiluba,
Third Republican President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, Fourth
Republican President Rupiah Banda and not forgetting the
firth Republican President Michael Chilufya Sata. All these
started their leadership while they were at school.

35
 ‘Our courts may be bought or corrupt sometimes and justice hard to
get but as long as we are documenting and writing everything, its just
a matter of time before justice is served.’

36
Chapter 7

1. Reforms –way forward

a. Justice for Vespers

It is prudent that the Government institute a serious

investigation. It is hard to assume that the state fulfils promises
of investigating instances because up to date the nation still
has not seen any report following the promises of investigating
the fires that had gutted the City Market, the Comesa Market
and many more. On this particular incidence, he nation of
Zambia demansd seriousness and respect for the life of
Vespers Simuzhila who perished under this circumstance.
Riots are retrogressive and should not be encouraged yet that
is only achievable in an environment that respects the law. If
the state is seen not to respect the law by making sure that
justice prevails how then can the state create a lawful
environment?
Justice for Vespers is not a call for witch hunt and
victimizations of real and perceived persons with divergent
views against those of the people in government but a call for
a profession investigation that will bring light to this otherwise
overly politicized incidence. An innocent life and property
were lost, let the state take responsibility. We have had too
much talk and pronunciations of road-maps on this issue yet
what is on the ground leaves much to be desired.
Already the integrity of the results of the investigations which
will come out this claimed inquest lie on a thin balance
because of the way the supposed investigation wing has
treated the site of the incident. Contrary to expected practice of
securing the accident scene, it was disturbing that the site of
the death incident was not secured or fenced off and thus likely
to have been contaminated or compromised by the many
people who had access to it in the early days after the
incidence.
37
The investigation into the death of Vespers is not a negotiable
privilege which the state can either give or not, it is a duty. The
state has a constitutional duty to honour every citizen's right to
life and if a life is lost the state has a duty to investigate so that
justice prevails over the one whose right to life has been taken
away. In that regard Vespers right to life was taken away in one
of the most gruesome ways imaginable hence the state has a
duty mandated by our Constitution to investigate this
incidence and bring justice.
If this incidence is not investigated and justice is not served to
the perpetrators of this incident then we are all guilty of
encouraging lawlessness. If the police offices are found
wanting, let justice be served so that we do not encourage state
sponsored lawlessness. On the other side if this incident was
orchestrated by some other forces within and beyond the
university campus, let the investigation run until the long arm
of the law brings justice to the life of Vespers.
Let this investigation be done professionally without undue
influence from politicians both in government and in the
opposition who have already taken this incidence in their
political shenanigans.
b. Reinstatement of Student Unions in Public Universities
and Colleges
Lessons are immerse around us to remind us that it is not right
for politicians to always interfere in student politics.
Suspending Unions without legitimate cause other than selfish
motives meant to appease or drive certain agendas at the
expense of the Higher learning institution is very bad practice.
The Minister of Higher Education should forthwith lift the
suspension of Students Union and refrain from meddling in the
affair of student leadership. The law is sufficient and it has put
in place institutions that are sufficient to make sure that the
Students Union bodies function properly and within the
confines of the prescribed perimeters.
Students Unions are an express instruction of the Law and of
this Nation and it is unfair for the Minister to frustrate the
provisions of the Law a will.
38
If there was an authentic Student Union leadership at the
University during thistime, it is very unlikely that that
unfortunate incident that led to the loss of an innocent life
would have occurred.

c. Reviewing the Public Order Act

For decades over it is just preposterous that we still have a
repressive piece of law that was meant to deny us
independence and freedom during the colonial time is being
used by us 50 years after independence. In its current form the
Public order Act need urgent attention and its amendments is
long overdue.
The people of Zambia should be given a chance to amend this
piece of law so that sanity and respect for rights of citizens is
restored in this nation. In a much as it is unwise to encourage
lawlessness inflicted on the state by citizens, it is equally
wrong to have a law that does not protect the rights of it citizens
from imminent abuses by the governance authorities. To be
specific, the police Service is more of a Police force under the
current public order Act and this makes the women and men in
uniform susceptible to abusing the rights of citizen in the
process of enforcing the dictates of the public order Act. In its
current form, the Public Order Act is also susceptible to being
abused by politicians especially those enjoying the
incumbency of public office to cripple questioning voices and
ideas of people or organizations they perceive to be opposed.

39
‘Justice is doing for others what we would want done for ourselves.’
Gary Haugen

40
Chapter 8

The need for PEACE

There is need for PEACE in Higher Learning Institutions in

Zambia.
Peace is necessary if we are to see meaningful development of
the education sector in Zambia and more especial in
Institutions of Higher Learning. Peace does not mean people
do not disagree but that despite contrasting views and beliefs
people concerned should reason together and live in harmony
for the common good. Peace goes deeper than what meets the
eye. It has diverse faces yet in this discourse I will limit my
scope only to a few faces which we desperately need in the
enhancement of Education in the Institutions of Higher
Learning.
Firstly, it is important that wherever there is peace, people are
free because we cannot have peace without freedom. In this
case the institutions of higher learning should enjoy academic
and social freedoms as prescribe in the Constitution of the
Republic of Zambia.
Peace and Academic Freedom
In the case of Education Development of the youths, it is
important that Education Freedom is promoted. This freedom
should encompass: Academic, Social and Cultural Freedom.
Despite the diversity of this topic I will further limit my cope to
the Freedom of Expression and thus I will elaborate on the
Freedom of Speech.
Freedom of speech is a very important aspect of the Education
process especially in the Higher learning institutions. This
freedom is very important because it has a feedback effect that
enables it to be enjoyed by all concerned vis-à-vis increase in
interactive communication between Students, Lecturers and
the Administrative staff.
41
UNIONISM
In an effort to formalize, equip and empower the students' rights
of freedom of expression on matters affecting this nation and
beyond, it is imperative that the Students Unions are respected
and given their rightful mandate to represent their fellow
students amicably. The voice of the youth is very important and
should be heard. Although Zambia has recorded in her history
having hadhighly respected student union leaders who have
influence and impacted this nation greatly through
championing crucial but important cause that otherwise would
have died without justice, it is also on record that such student
union leaders' lives have ended up badly because some powers
that be do not like to be challenges and treat contrasting
perspectives as insults and thus treated the young leaders as
rebels. Governments is in many cases the culprit of mistreating
Student Union leaders who the rebuff and treat badly when they
speak against the bad deeds of the government.
That behaviour of some governments towards student
unionleaders is regrettable and unfortunate because not only
are the rights of students infringed upon but the nation as a
whole loses out on valuable leadership contribution. Student
Union are partners in development and they need to be
promoted and supported if peace is to be fully realized in
Higher learning institutions of this country
Universities and colleges are a strategic assert in the realization
our nation's development. Composed of a body of personalities
entrusted with knowledge at different levels, this is the place
where the next generation of Zambians is being bred.
Emanating from different family backgrounds, students come
for a short time to acquire knowledge and skill at Higher
learning institutions in order to become impact his nation
positively. Higher learning institutions are places where dreams
are made and some destroyed.
Every thread of knowledge a student acquires becomes a fabric
for the garment that will cover this nation's nakedness some day
in future.
42
Positioned to influence various fields of their specialization by
way of occupying influential positions in society, they involve
themselves in decision-making process for the growth of the
nations. On the other hand any nation has a great respect for the
graduates and they expect greater things from them to ease the
difficulties of the people and bring peace and serenity in their
lives.
Therefore, it is of great requirement that a university
environment become a place where justice and peace are
understood and practiced in all aspects of the life in the
campus.
Echoing the words of Fr. Sax, I would put it that:
'All involved in the education system must ensure that
everything is safeguarded and passed on to students in a better
condition. All should respect the feelings of others in order to
live in peace; we are called to find harmony amidst any type of
differences.
The common good of the Nation should be the guiding
principle in our high institutions of Learning. Because our
nation invests lots and lots of taxpayers' money for the state
Universities and Colleges personal interest or rivalry between
students and the government should be avoided. The
administrators, Staff, Non-teaching staff and students should
periodically meet and discern the best for the growth of the
community in a spirit of cordially.’
The Problems in Institutions of Higher Learning are real and
require real solutions:
The horizon of thought is always limited by the level of
exposure one gets. Many a time, our public universities lack
that total capacity enriching effect on students, the ability to
make students explore their potential wholly. The campus
atmosphere is sometimes shallowly inhibiting; cultured in
shallow walls where a student can afford to go through the
university unexposed to the reality of life beyond books. Apart
from the daily routines, an average student has no life beyond
his room and the library; well not all are under this blanket. A
minority curve out honey out of the turtle shells by getting
43
involved in extracurricular activities like sports. This concern
may seem insignificant to the development of a student yet its
consequences are shockingly embarrassing and an insult to the
intellectual fraternity. A limited scope is not only
underdeveloped but dangerous. Students deserve to be
developed beyond the literal 'school'. High Education should
equip the youth to handle life after school effectively and with
maximum efficiency.
Issues of compromised sanitation and inadequate student
accommodation are serious issues need serious attention in our
State Universities and Colleges. Poor or absent research
facilities and opportunities, insufficient study material and
inadequate study space are a thorn buried under every student's
flesh in our public Institution of Higher Learning. Lecturer
demands are immense, family expectations are high, as such a
student is ever hanging on tendons of an enigma of
harmonizing harsh academic grades to keep him/her going
through the jagged academic terrain as well as find food to eat.
Most African Nations in the commonwealth region are still
developing and like Zambia they are still experiencing high
levels of poverty and as such most students in our public
universities live below the poverty datum line. Besides the
imbalance in needs and resources for most students, the
government subsidy on Education which comes in form of
payment of meal allowances is not very stable such that
sometimes students go for a few months without pay. This has
for a long time been the major single reason for student
demonstrations in our public universities that sometimes leave
property destroyed although most of the times the
demonstrations are peaceful. Generally students are not violent
and they know money is not easy to come-by. The major
problem arises as a result of the uncertainty and fear of neglect.
Delayed meal allowance payment is seen differently through
the eyes of students.
Firstly students feel neglected and looked down upon by the
state officials who usually do not speak well of them. This is not
a baseless factor as it instils a mean mentality in them and to
reclaim their stolen and cushion that ill feeling, students find
44
 solace in mobs that will do anything to draw government's
attention.
Secondly, delayed payments of stipends (allowances for those
on the loan and bursary scheme) are sometimes seen as a
deliberate plan by some officials. It is understood among
students that the people in charge of preparing this money
delay the money in the banks so that that money accumulate
interest at the expense of starving students. To students this is a
very serious belief and has potential to ignite bad reactions
every time allowances are delayed.
Thirdly, various Higher learning institutions are shorts of
quality and capacity to adequately cater for the needs of
students. This is exhibited by the poor quality building
infrastructure, poor sanitation and hygiene which is caused by
poorly maintained and obsolete ablution blocks and drainage
systems. Lack of adequate quality academic staff is another
concern. Most Institutions of higher learning are understaffed
with highly demotivated lectures and tutors who take their
frustrations on students. The Public higher learning
institutions are also poorly funded apart from being prone to
rampant financial mismanagement yet in all that it is the
students who suffer the ill effect of those vices. This is another
source of discontentment that propels students to demonstrate
or worse riot. Needless to say those students in higher learning
institutions especially those sponsored by the state need to
behave properly and be very grateful for the support they are
receiving. This has been hard to be understood by students
because they wonder how national resources are distributed; it
is evident that the education sector is not seen as government's
priority funding sector hence the poor state of affairs.
Way forward and Conclusion
Since the issue of payments of allowances is the major source
of conflict that causes disturbance in the higher learning
institutions, it will important that a proper channel of
communication is opened between the students' body and the
government section responsible for administering these
payments. Forming a deliberate communication policy
between the Higher Education Loans and Scholarship Board
45
 (HELSB) and students' leadership is cardinal so that
information is well disseminated. Atleast one student
representative must sit on the committee that administer s these
payments for efficiency in communication's sake.
Dictatorial and intimidation tendencies and reactions to
students concerns does not help; it is not right to simply ignore
ore supress genuine students concerns. If only governments
were committed and attended to the root cause of the problems
encumbering out institutions of higher education academic
disruption and riots would have been a thing of the past. Most
times students demonstrate is not because they are ungrateful
but because they believe the government is not doing its duty
properly or it is falling short of its responsibility.
We will not ignore the fact that students have at many times
been hired and used as instruments for propagation of
retrogressive ideologies by corrupt and desperate politicians.
This is true and highly regrettable. Whenever unworthy
external influence is suspected among students, it is cardinal
that expedient investigations are done in a professional manner
and the vice nipped in its bud. What is worse is to conclude that
whenever students demonstrate or voice out on an issue then
there is a negative hidden agenda of some clandestine group of
enemies of the state, no. Students also seen things happening
around their country and make their own judgments. Naturally,
students in institutions of higher learning see themselves as
intellectuals who should be the voice of the voiceless. Their
voice should be heard. It is only when we are committed as a
nation to improving our institutions of higher learning through
engaging all stakeholders progressively when we will see real
development and put an end to disturbances in Institutions of
Higher Learning. Freedom of expression should never be
strangled if peace is to be realised and maintained.
With all this said; one thing we ought not to forget is that our
dreams as a nation are in vain without peace. God bless Zambia
(Adulterated from Paper presented by Kasonde Mwenda C, Copperbelt University Students Union
President as a contribution to the Youth forum at the 17th Commonwealth Countries Education Ministers
Conference Held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia between 15th and 19th June 2009)

46
Epilogue

Emancipation

Why get burdened with the fatigue of emancipating women?

There are many people today who feel engaging ourselves in
such a cause is a misplacement of priorities and a sure dilution
of the urgently needed hard work for quelling the excruciating
plague of poverty stalking our family and state corridors. The
people who disagree with our fight for emancipating women
and girl children usually claim that they are too busy with other
important thing hence they cannot afford the luxury of
depleting our so scarce resources on empowering women
because to them the task of women empowerment and
emancipation is secondary and as such a vain mission that just
dissipate our already feeble forces.
Yet more, while hiding in twisted elucidations of our culture,
some still claim that certain local traditions must be respected
because they define social order and moral correctness and as
such cannot be opposed or modified even if they are visibly
biased to disadvantage women.
Well, let it be known today that the emancipation of women is
neither an act of charity nor a consequence of a humanitarian or
compassionate attitude. The liberation of women is a
fundamental necessity for our development as a nation and the
guarantee of its continuity and the precondition of for victory
over economic and social discontentment. The main objective
of the emancipation of the girlchild and women is to destroy
the system of exploitation and build a new society which
releases the potentialities of women and girls as strategic
development partners, reconciling them with challenges of
this day with an informed confident approach.
47
While mere acknowledgements and oratory intimations that
women are generally the most oppressed, humiliated and
exploited beings inour in our country and beyond does not help
much; the real change we need goes beyond mere mention if we
are to fully claim that the 21st century girl child and woman is
totally free in our land.
The Emancipation we are talking about goes far beyond
thriving government policies, women biased education
policies, and social-cultural promises that merely promise
favourable privileges to women. The real emancipation
involves deliberate efforts and levelling of the playing field
through creation of opportunities and resources to all the
women regardless of their level of enlightenment or creed or
occupation. By this we mean all girl children and women
starting from those selling vegetable by the roadside to those
elitist in higher echelons of the corporate sphere. It is aid that he
who educates a woman saves not just a soul but the whole
community.
Whyis it that in this day and age the lives of women and girl
children is not getting the attention and protection it deserves?
Some may argue that women are given just as much attention as
men but we all know that that is not true because if it were so we
wouldn't see women being ravaged by preventable vices like
we are seeing them dying in child birth today in this country. If
we cared enough we would not be seeing and keeping quiet as
the police savagely teargas female hostels to an extent of
causing fires and death by suffocation when we too well know
how fragile a young girl's life is. If we cared we surely would
demand justice when the weak are downtrodden.
Being a country struggling to pull itself out of perpetualpoverty,
it is not surprising that we are desperate for development. We
are almost too busy to notice anything which has no direct and
immediate ill bearing on us.
48
It is under such inconsiderate haste that the process of gender
based exploitation is being perpetrated. Under this umbrella it
is not surprising to notice that when government authorities are
questioned about the welfare of its citizen, their easily and
quickly get agitated to the extent of thinking that any voice that
in calling them to care for the people is merely sponsored to
derail the much needed development. It should be on record
that not everyone is for sale, some are priceless and stand for
things bigger than money.
How are we going to know that our girl child and woman is
emancipated? Some people are afraid of girl child and woman
emancipation because they think it is the same as having
women who just accumulate University degrees, women who
are drunks, smokers, women who just wear trousers and
miniskirts, women who just indulge in unrestrained sexual
promiscuity or women who refuse to have children.
Well, true emancipation of the girlchild and women goes
beyond the does and don'ts, polices and declarations, rights and
privileges; true emancipation if a quit weaved out of a multiple
threads.
True emancipation calls for concertedunderstanding and
appreciation of women biological privileges and place in our
society. We should appreciate and acknowledge her physical
strengths and weaknesses. Apart from protecting her, we
should cherish her and restore respect on her as an equal but
different face of the same coin that we need to purchase our
social and economic #development.
Now that the male folk bears a bias in the social and economic
strata; the emancipation of the girlchild and woman cannot just
fall in place on its own. It require us to make a conscious
political commitment from our government and this
commitment begins with bringing justice to the death of
49
Vespers Shimuzhila. This misfortune is a litmus test of where
our women leaders are willing to take the emancipation of the
girl child. Because at the centre of this unfortunate death are
two women; Prof.Nkandu Luo the Minister of Higher
Education and Ms. Dora Siliya the Minister of Information. It is
a privilege for the women to do the right thing for the girl child
or look away and let political correctness and expediency rob
us justice.

When the axe has been laid across the trunk and the roots can no
longer hold; our question may not be on what will happen to us
if we do not step in and help restore the right through
emancipating those who are ailing under the yoke of injustice
but rather what will happen to them if we just sit and watch.

50
 PHOTO GALLERIES
(Social Media pictures)

TOP: Vespers Simuzhila BOTTOM: Commemoration gathering

to give last respects to the Vespers Simuzhila in Lusaka

51
TOP and BOTTOM: University of Zambia
Commemoration/Police Brutality Protest
walk in Lusaka’s Great East Road
enroute to the Seventh Day Adventist
Church along Katima Mulilo Road in
Lusaka to go and give last respects to
Vespers Simuzhila.

52
TOP: Vespers Simuzhila’s family with mourners in Namwala.
BOTTOM: Laying to rest of Vespers Simuzhila in Namwala.
Father and father to the deceased kneeling before the grave.

53
TOP: UNZA Students
demonstrate by blocking
Great East Road and burn
tires.

LEFT: Burning Room at

UNZA’s October 2
Females Hostel following
the police’s alleged
shooting of teargas canister
in that room.

BOTTOM: Everntyn
Choongo the survivor
student who jumpedfrom
the top hostel window
being attended to at the
hospital..

54
APPENDIX

55
56
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
RIOTS THAT LED TO DEATH OF A STUDENT AND AN INJURY
OF ANOTHER STUDENT.

I wish to convey my sincere condolences to the bereaved family of the

late Vespers Shimuzhila a University of Zambia fourth year student
who passed away on Friday 5th October, 2018 during the riot at the
institution.
Further, I would like to sympathise with the family for Evelyn Chongo a
second year student who sustained a spinal injury after jumping from
the second floor of her hostel during the same riot at the institution.
I wish to inform the nation that my Ministry and Government is very
concerned about what transpired at the highest learning institution.
However, I can not give more details concerning the matter as the
Ministry is doing its investigations which will help provide more
information and come up with a clear report.
The investigations which are currently being conducted by the police
and other investigative wings will cover what transpired for the period;
prior to the riot, during and after the riot at the institution.
Besides that, there will be an inquest whereby other people who might
have other pieces of information concerning the same will be allowed to
provide the information to the team that would undertake the inquest.
The results of the inquest will be supplemented by the postmortem
reoort for the deceased student and once this information is put together
the nation shall be informed accordingly.
The Ministry shall ensure that investigations are carried out
professionally
and those who will be found wanting will be dealt with according to the
law. There will be no sacred cows on this matter.
I also wish to mention that the President is also concerned with the
welfare of the students hence the decision to evacuate the injured
student for specialised treatment to South Africa.
I wish therefore, to appeal to all the family members, students populace
and the general public to allow the investigative wings to do their work
without interference.
HON. STEPHEN KAMPYONGO (MP),
HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER
57
STATEMENT BY THE FAMILY OF THE LATE VESPERS
SHIMUNZHILA

The Family of Vespers Shumunzhila, the university of Zambia student who died
on 5th October 2018 issue this statement to correct many falsehoods and half-
truths that have been circulating in the media. The family has remained silent on
the matter because we are still mourning. We are in deep shock and sorrow
following the loss of our beloved one in such a tragic and unfortunate manner.
Firstly and foremost, the Family would like to sincerely thank all persons,
organizations and institutions that rendered material, financial and moral
support during this period of mourning. We would like to specifically thank the
Government of the Republic of Zambia and the University of Zambia for
providing financial and logistical support during the funeral in Lusaka and
Namwala. We thank all government officials, politicians and political parties,
civil society organizations, the church, the management, lecturers, staff and
students of the University of Zambia, friends and relatives who came to mourn
with us at the funeral house, at the church service in Lusaka and at the burial site
in Namwala. We pray that God's blessings be with you all. We would not have
managed to put our beloved daughter to her final rest without your assistance
and support.
Our daughter Vespers Shimunzhila was born in 1993 and raised in our under-
privileged family in Kantengwa area of Namwala District, Southern Province.
She was the third born in a family of ten siblings of Mr. and Mrs. Davison
Shimunzhila. Vespers was outstanding amongst all her siblings. She exhibited
discipline, intelligence, and hard work from a very young age. She was devoted
to Christian teachings and was a full communicant member of the Seventh Day
Adventists, the church to which all family members congregate. Her discipline,
intelligence and hard work saw her progress from Kantengwa, a primary school
that does not have any electricity lighting, to Kasenga and Njase Secondary
during her secondary school life. For tertiary education, she studied at Rusangu
University for one academic year. She then applied and was accepted at
University of Zambia the following year to pursue a degree in Education with
specific focus on Adult Education.
As a poor family, we will not shy to state that Mr. and Mrs. Shimunzhila
struggled to raise funds to meet the school requirements for our daughter
Vespers. Much as she was on government bursary, there were other school
expenses that were not covered. As poor peasant farmers, securing funding for
her school requirements was always a challenge. Sometimes, we had to incur
debts to pay for her school requirements. In most cases she went to school with
inadequate funds, but would never complain. Instead she would
58
 always assure us that the family's financial problems would be alleviated once
she completed her course and get employed. She did not leave to see that day,
because someone terminated her life in the most painful manner. We did not
invest in our daughter's education expecting a return. We did it so that she could
move out of the vicious circle of poverty. Our prayer was that she could pass on
the gesture to her siblings and other members of the extended family in future.
Sadly, this was never to be.

A few days before the tragic incidence the father Mr. Davidson Shimunzhila
phoned his daughter from Kenya where he was attending a short course training
in agriculture. During their cellphone conversation, Vespers pleaded with her
father that the family start preparing for her graduation. The father assured her
that we would raise the required funds for her graduation. Around 07:00 hrs on
5th October 2018, whilst in Kenya, the father got a phone call from Flare his wife
and Vespers 'mother that Vespers was dead! He was devastated and confused.
His wife Flare told him that their daughter died in a room at a University hostel
after the room was engulfed with teargas, smoke and fire. This allegedly
happened after the police moved into campus to quell a riot by the students. The
father was surprised because our daughter Vespers was not of riotous behavior.
When the father reached Lusaka, He was briefed that the state decided to carry
out a post-mortem before the body could be handed over to the family. This, the
family was informed, that it was mandatory when the state has reason to suspect
that a death was not by natural causes. Since the notice was short, the family
could not get independent medical experts to witness the autopsy. However, two
family relatives witnessed the autopsy. A third party with medical expertise also
witnessed the autopsy. From the witnessing of the autopsy, it seemed that
Vespers sustained other fatal injuries in addition to teargas suffocation! The
family will not give any detail on this as it is a subject on an ongoing
investigation.
The pathologist issued a certificate of death and promised that the detailed post-
mortem report would be ready within three days. After this period elapsed, a
family member was sent to collect a copy of the autopsy report. The member was
referred to the police as they were now the only ones with custody of the report.
The police refused to avail a copy of the report to the family. Their fear was that
the document may not be secured and if it leaked, it would jeopardize the
investigation. The family insisted on even just having sight of the document to
compare with what was observed during the autopsy. This, the police also
denied the family.
We do appreciate that this may be standard police procedure, but we are worried
as a family. This is a peculiar case where the complainant is the

59
 state, the investigator is the state police, and the prime suspect is the police.
We were informed that the police have different units and can and do investigate
each other. But, ultimately, all police departments report to one command. Is this
not conflict of interest? The police has not been forthcoming to the family with
the status of the investigation. There is no organized liaison between the
investigating team and the family.
To add to our concerns, the police high command has not come out strongly
against the actions of police officers deployed to quell the riots on that fateful
early morning. There have been statements attributed to high ranking
government officials throwing the blame to students' riotous behavior, and very
little or no comments regarding the actions of the police. Would this not
influence public opinion and the investigation?
Faced with this dilemma, the family decided to commence its own fact finding.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that our daughter, Vespers Shimunzhila was
sleeping in her room with other students on that fateful night. She was nowhere
near the scenes of the riots. Eyewitness accounts also indicated that police fired
teargas canisters into October 2 hostel of the University. Following that, two
rooms caught fire and teargas and smoke engulfed a number of rooms of the
hostel. Later, fellow students found our daughter Vespers in a kneeling position,
unconscious. She was in nightwear, indicating that she was not at the scenes of
the riots. The students rushed her to the university clinic, but she never regained
consciousness.
The police did not do much to secure a possible scene of a crime. Pictures of
civilians inspecting the scene started appearing on social media. As a result,
evidence may have been contaminated and lost. Our enquiries indicate that
police did not interview possible eyewitnesses more than four days after the
incidence. There is no statement from the police as to who was in charge of the
operation and what the orders for the same were.
Amidst silence from the police, a number of people have continued to issue
statements and opinions on this sorrowful case. A few comments have been
sympathetic to the family, the student populace and others affected by this death.
Other statements have been very painful to the family as they paint Vespers as a
political agent. Others suggesting that she was involved in clandestine activities.
There is no truth to all these statements. The police have not issued any warning
to stop such statements. The family is still in mourning. We request that people
refrain from making such negative and unfounded accusations of our dearly
departed family member. Vespers can no longer speak for herself. The family
may be forced to seek legal redress against any person or persons who continue
to issue negative unsubstantiated statements about Vespers. Please, please, let
the soul of our daughter rest in peace.

60
Of particular concern to the family are statements attributed to a politician and
activist Chilufya Tayali that our daughter Vespers was involved in clandestine
activities. He further alleges our daughter was an agent of a named political
party. Is this allegation confirmation that Vespers was specifically targeted and
killed due to these suspected activities? If so, who targeted her and was this
killing legal? Why didn't the state investigate, arrest and prosecute her for the
same if at all indeed she had committed any crime? Surprisingly, the police have
not come out to warn this activist to stop issuing such serious allegations. Is this
a systematic way of trying to cover her unjust death? A number of influential
persons who are not part of the police investigations have also been issuing
statements and opinions about the circumstances of Vespers' death. Through
this, won't the police investigations be influenced to end up just validating these
statements and opinions?
We would like to put the record straight.
1. Vespers did not have any medical history of Asthma
2. Vespers was not a student militant. She was not involved in the riots of
October 5, 2018
3. Vespers was not a political activist. She did not even have a voter's card.
She did not drive to enable her organize Avondale area as alleged.
4. Vespers was a servant of the lord Jesus Christ. She could not be
involved in clandestine activities.
Since there is a lot of public interest in this case, we request that government
urgently institute an inquest. That way, members of the public who are not
within the police investigation target may be availed chance to give evidence.
We also request that the police avail a copy of the post-mortem report to the
family without further delay. Failure to this, the family may have no other
option, but to reveal the findings of the post-mortem as witnessed.
We also appeal to Government to find a lasting solution to minimize student
unrest at the University of Zambia and other institutions of higher learning. We
are concerned as parents about statements indicating that government should
cease funding to students at UNZA. Our daughter Vespers' death would be in
total vain if a multitude of students from poor families lose their bursaries and
are dropped from UNZA. Vespers' death should not be used to justify the use of
education as a tool of class differentiation. As we live with the lifelong pain of
losing our beloved daughter, we as the Shimunzhila family continue to look
forward to a Zambia that is characterized by universal access to education.
Should we not dream of a Zambia where are daughter of a peasant farmer can
become a medical doctor, a son of a street vendor can become an engineer and an
orphan can become a top lawyer rising to the position of Chief Justice of the
Judiciary, just to mention a few? Countries such as those of South-east Asia that
have experienced high rates
61
of economic growth in the last five decades are characterized by huge spending
in public education. It would be very sad if Zambia takes the opposite direction.
Finally, we would like to make profound appreciation to all organizations that
have come out strongly to show support in pursuit of justice for our daughter
Vespers. We make specific mention of the Human Rights Commission who are
conducting their own investigations, the Law Association of Zambia who have
pledged legal support for Vespers' cause, the NGOCC, and a pressure group
called Voice of Vespers who have commenced advocacy activities for our dearly
departed daughter.
The family will draw on all these resources and would welcome any further
support, no matter how little. A formal organized structure may be formed to
steer a holistic approach to ensure that justice is served for Vespers.
The cardinal question is “WHO WILL SPEAK FOR VESPERS?”
We the family of Vespers say “WE WILL”
We appeal to anybody who feels an injustice occurred in this incidence to reply,
“I WILL”
The family will issue updates on the matter whenever necessary
We Thank You
Issued by

Davison Shimunzhila
Father to late Vespers Shimunzhila
Supported by family members:
Panister Shimuzhila
Bradford Malumbe
L. Shantebe Chiinda

19th October, 2018.

62
‘While we slept, a lot happened on that fateful night,
something gruesome. Are we going to continue sleeping now
that we are awake?’

63
64
65
 ‘While we slept, a
lot happened on
that fateful night,
s o m e t h i n g
gruesome. Are we
going to continue
sleeping now that
we are awake?’
Compassion is not
a substitute for
justice and since
the dead cannot
cry out for their
justice; it is a duty
of the living to do
so for them.
Wherever we want
to go, our feet shall
take us there.
978 9982 70 478 6 and Consultant, Intellectual Property expert
Our Feet Publishers
Kasonde Mwenda C
The author is:
Former Students Union President of the
Copperbelt University .
Written :
‘Passion Indelible- Michael Chilufya Sata’ -
best selling memoir of Zambia’s 5th
Republican President. 2017
‘The Economist- Hakainde Hichilema’s first
biography’. 2017
He has also written:
1. Understanding how to build a house- Zambia’s
first House Building Architectural Guide. 2016
2. Our Feet Shall take Us there -Kasonde Mwenda
C autobiographic book. 2009.
3. The Barotseland Contention-The Unbridled
scar on the Zambian conscience. 2011
4. Streams in the Desert-Poetic Expressions with
illustrations. 2007
5. Fire Tender Special Citizens Report. The Devil
in the Detail-January 2018
6. Black Mountain Citizens Report. Blood in he
Sand. 2018
Apart from being a writer and researcher
Kasonde Mwenda C is a Registered Architect
and a community leader.