Wed, 23 Aug 2017 10:51:20 +0000
By Aaron Chiyanzo
THE University of Zambia is working out a financial plan to allow all owing students to write their examinations which may entail withholding payments to retirees and ZESCO, says Vice Chancellor Professor Luke Mumba.
And Prof Mumba said that from the initial 8,000 students who were still owing the university, almost half have in the recent past weeks cleared their arrears, reducing the number to 4,900 students.
He said that all the 4,900 students who were still owing the university would be allowed to write examinations upon signing commitment letters, together with their guardians.
Prof Mumba however warned that other usual institutional expenses such as the monthly funding to dismantle arrears owed to retirees, utilities’ bills among others, would be affected.
He explained that the university would have to negotiate with Zesco and the water utility company on an extended payment plan.
Prof Mumba said that money would have to be channelled from other daily expenses to accommodate over 4,900 students in the upcoming examinations.
“We have decided to allow all the 4,900 students to write their examinations, mind you the number has reduced from the initial 8,000 because some have paid up. But they will have to sign commitment letters and we will withhold their results until they pay.
“But to do this, it means we have to channel money from other daily expenses. It means we won’t be able to pay the retirees as we do every month, we have to negotiate with Zesco to pay later and even the examination itself will have to be adjusted,” he said.
Prof Mumba said that a lot of other modalities would have to be adjusted to accommodate owing students in the coming examinations.
