Sinkamba says Zambia’s Human Rights record dented following students brutality
By Staff Reporter
Opposition Green Party president Peter Sinkamba says the brutal beating of Copperbelt University students has dented Zambia’s international human right record.
Sinkamba told Newsday Zambia in an interview this morning that the brutal action by the Zambia police against defenceless students had completely destroyed the image of the country on the global scale.
“There is no way, someone can justify that act (brutalising students) and it painted black on the human rights position of the country,” Sinkamba said
“This is extremely disappointing as it lowers the perseption in terms of human rights on the global scale. Institutions of higher learning are called globally as institutions which really enjoy academic freedom,” He said
And Sinkamba has called on the Copperbelt students not in any way to revenge on what has happened at the institution.
“it’s high time that they should re-think on the engagement with government, because the kind of position which is taken especially with the minister of higher education Nkandu Lou is extremely embarassing because we expect her to respect the academic freedom in instutitions of higher learning,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sinkamba has called on the students to petition President Edgar Lungu to remove Prof. Luo as she had failed to address fundamental issues they have raised over the withdrawal of meal and project allowances.
“She is there just to create more confusion and problems, than to create sanity in those institutions, “ he said.
