The Copperbelt University former Student Union President, Castro Mulilo has been expelled from the university for cancelling classes to mourn the death of two students who died in the road traffic accident at CBU.
The former COBUSU President who was in final year pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Transport and Logistics has been expelled on grounds that on the 26th of June, 2023 around 08:00hrs after the death of two students the previous night, Castro Mulilo, as COBUSU President then, cancelled classes and called for a general assembly to condemn the rioting and looting that had transpired the previous night, as well as to mourn the death of two students. However, the cancellation of classes didn’t sit well with the university management as they wanted students to attend classes regardless of being traumatized by the death of their fellow ones who died in cold bl00d.
Mr Mulilo has appealed to management against the action and claims that the cancellation of classes was demanded for by the students who he represented and was done in good faith to ensure that students could not continue with illegality as they had vowed not to attend any classes until he was to address them as a representative. Mr Mulilo further claims that the university management later approved the cancellation of the classes and even extended to two days of mourning. The COBUSU guild constitution provides for the powers of the COBUSU President to act during an emergency and cancelling classes and calling for a general assembly was done in good faith, he reiterated.
Meanwhile, Student Unions across the country have continued to threaten CBU management to reinstate the former Union President immediately if they don’t want all students unions in the country to physically go to CBU and offer solidarity to their colleagues.
