PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Malawi varsity riots spread
Blantyre, Malawi (PANA) - Riots that started at the Polytechnic, the Blantyre-based constituent college of the University of Malawi, Thursday spread to Chancellor College, the Zomba-based main constituent college of the university.
When news spread that the university council has sacked Chancellor College Academic Staff Union president, Dr. Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula, her Secretary General, Franz Amin, and legal advisor, Dr. Garton Kamchedzera, late Wednesday, the students held an impromptu meeting and resolved to challenge the decision.
"We want council to rescind the decision because our lecturers have done nothing wrong in asking for academic freedom," said Goodwin Thunga, deputy president of the Chancellor College Students' Union.
The three lecturers are seen as leaders of the six-week old class boycott at Chancellor College, the main constituent college of the University of Malawi.
The Blantyre-based polytechnic lecturers also joined in the class boycott but have since resolved to resume teaching, although the students are refusing to attend class.
CCASU lawyer Bright Theu obtained an injunction at the High Court in Zomba late Wednesday restraining University Council chairman Prof. James Seyani from implementing the dismissals.
PANA also learnt that the lecturer at the centre of the stand-off, Associate Political Science Professor Blessings Chinsinga, has received his letter of termination of service in absentia. He is out to Ethiopia on duty.
The stand-off started at the Chancellor College, when Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhito summoned Dr. Chinsinga for reportedly saying in class that crises like Malawi 's persistent fuel crisis can lead to insurrections that have toppled governments in Tunisia and Egypt .
One or some of the students reported him to the police chief, thereby vexing the lecturers who are demanding an apology and assurances of academic freedom.
The police chief has since put his foot down, saying academic freedom must be balanced with state security.
President Bingu wa Mutharika, who is both Chancellor of the University of Malawi and Commander-in-Chief of the Malawi Police Service, has since thrown his weight behind his police chief, urging him not to apologise to "people who are teaching revolutions."
The students early morning erected boulders in several roads in the city to prevent police from invading the campus, as they chanted anti-government songs.
"Bingu, we don't want another Zimbabwe !" they chanted.
Some called for the resignation of President Mutharika as chancellor of the university for taking sides in the stand-off and also called for the resignation of the president's young brother, Education Minister Prof. Peter Mutharika, for failing to show leadership in the crisis.
However, it did not take long for police to break up the demonstrations, as they came in full force, spreading teargas on the students, followed them up to the hostels, while about 20 of them were arrested and taken to the Eastern Region Police headquarters.
Meanwhile, the lecturers held another meeting in the morning, where they resolved not to be cowed by the attempted sacking of their colleagues.
In a related development, the lecturers are one by one receiving notifications that they will not receive their April salaries unless they resume teaching.
-0- PANA RT/BOS 31March2011
When news spread that the university council has sacked Chancellor College Academic Staff Union president, Dr. Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula, her Secretary General, Franz Amin, and legal advisor, Dr. Garton Kamchedzera, late Wednesday, the students held an impromptu meeting and resolved to challenge the decision.
"We want council to rescind the decision because our lecturers have done nothing wrong in asking for academic freedom," said Goodwin Thunga, deputy president of the Chancellor College Students' Union.
The three lecturers are seen as leaders of the six-week old class boycott at Chancellor College, the main constituent college of the University of Malawi.
The Blantyre-based polytechnic lecturers also joined in the class boycott but have since resolved to resume teaching, although the students are refusing to attend class.
CCASU lawyer Bright Theu obtained an injunction at the High Court in Zomba late Wednesday restraining University Council chairman Prof. James Seyani from implementing the dismissals.
PANA also learnt that the lecturer at the centre of the stand-off, Associate Political Science Professor Blessings Chinsinga, has received his letter of termination of service in absentia. He is out to Ethiopia on duty.
The stand-off started at the Chancellor College, when Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhito summoned Dr. Chinsinga for reportedly saying in class that crises like Malawi 's persistent fuel crisis can lead to insurrections that have toppled governments in Tunisia and Egypt .
One or some of the students reported him to the police chief, thereby vexing the lecturers who are demanding an apology and assurances of academic freedom.
The police chief has since put his foot down, saying academic freedom must be balanced with state security.
President Bingu wa Mutharika, who is both Chancellor of the University of Malawi and Commander-in-Chief of the Malawi Police Service, has since thrown his weight behind his police chief, urging him not to apologise to "people who are teaching revolutions."
The students early morning erected boulders in several roads in the city to prevent police from invading the campus, as they chanted anti-government songs.
"Bingu, we don't want another Zimbabwe !" they chanted.
Some called for the resignation of President Mutharika as chancellor of the university for taking sides in the stand-off and also called for the resignation of the president's young brother, Education Minister Prof. Peter Mutharika, for failing to show leadership in the crisis.
However, it did not take long for police to break up the demonstrations, as they came in full force, spreading teargas on the students, followed them up to the hostels, while about 20 of them were arrested and taken to the Eastern Region Police headquarters.
Meanwhile, the lecturers held another meeting in the morning, where they resolved not to be cowed by the attempted sacking of their colleagues.
In a related development, the lecturers are one by one receiving notifications that they will not receive their April salaries unless they resume teaching.
-0- PANA RT/BOS 31March2011
