This was after he finished touring some facilities at the higher learning institution. “I am here to have a feeling of the atmosphere at the school. I also want to have a chat with some students because they were not around the last time I came here,” Dr Mushimba said. The minister toured the School of Engineering, School of Mines and a multipurpose hall where he found students writing examinations.

He also toured the university library, which was fully packed with students studying. After touring the institution, Dr Mushimba said he is aware of the many challenges the institution is facing and that the ministry is looking at ways of partnering with various stakeholders to address the concerns.

The minister said the university is in need of an additional library and lecture rooms because those available are inadequate for the huge number of students. Dr Mushimba also assured CBU management that Government will release money for installation of security gadgets at the institution.

He was responding to CBU vice-chancellor Naison Ngoma who complained about the delay by Government to release funds for the project. Dr Mushimba said Government has a number of pending issues it needs to address. He also commended the students for not taking part in the protests over xenophobic attacks in South Africa on Wednesday. And Professor Ngoma told Dr Mushimba that management will soon write proposals to him on students’ representation because the institution has no union for the learners.

Former Minister of Higher Education Nkandu Luo banned unionism at the institution after the students rioted early this year. He said the students are in need of people to represent them in case of any problem, hence management’s intention to write to Dr Mushimba.