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My threefold views.

A Fourth year Adult Education student, Vespers Shimuzhila died from suffocation after police teargassed hostels where possible rioting students where hiding. The cause of riot being the delayed meal allowance by government to the students.
Well I share my threefold views in regard to the above mentioned incident.

Firstly, we cannot be losing people due to police negligence or carelessness in handling demonstrations or riotous behaviour whether by students or political cadres, in the present case it’s a possible graduate’ s life that has been lost, somebody’s daughter, maybe even a breadwinner; factoring in life, money and time spent on and by her to fourth year level we all ought to condemn police action taken to quell the situation and demand for a revision of police training especially in regard to those trained for such incidences, if at all there is no special training for riot police then the sooner we train some the better because students can not be handled the same way criminals are handled. My simple view of handling rioting students is to merely press them to retreat in the places of abode, when that is accomplished and the police return to position but to press students and even teargas them in their rooms in uncalled for, something that deserves condemnation from all well meaning citizens.

Secondly, its sad that government can hold on to student’s meal allowances for two months and expect them to just sit quietly knowing too well that senior office holders were recently treated to a pay rise and new luxury vehicles bought for them while they, the students are treated to a wait on food, really- ridiculous! It’s apparent to me that the present government is no different from past ones in regard to the handling of both the bursary scheme and allowances for students, that said let government come out in the open sooner and agree that the scheme can no longer work and scrap it instead of giving false hope to students and treating them to long waits on money meant for their food while ministers treat themselves to petty luxuries from corruptly obtained funds that would easily be channelled to clear student’s dues. The earlier government makes their position of failure the better for everyone, them and the students as we can not go on with riots, destruction of property, injuries and deaths of students.

Thirdly, to students, it is clear that they have a genuine concern and were led to this riotous behavior by government’s irresponsibility and failure to honor their duty of paying them, that said it is still not right for students to always get to the road to destroy state and private property to be heard each time they feel aggrieved as there are better ways to call for government attention in most cases that would save both properties and lives, the earlier those who seem to be instructed and changed in reasoning by studies act in a civil manner the better as the disgruntled illiterates will have a reference point for civility.
In this case UNZA students’ behaviour is in no way different from that of marketeers and callboys when incensed.

Sad for the bereaved family, I send my condolences to them and ask for God’s comfort during this mourning period.

Mbanga, Irvine Ilukui.
Fayetteville, Arkansas.
United States of America.