More students blast HH’s special advisor

By SIMON MUNTEMBA WE shall not be intimidated by people like William Banda and UPND foreign financiers who feel they own Zambia because of money, the Copperbelt University Students Union (COBUSU) has said. COBUSU president, Lawrence Kasonde, reminded Mr Banda that students have the power to make their own decisions as long as they were within the law. Mr Kasonde was reacting to remarks by Mr Banda, who is UPND president Hakainde Hichilema’s special advisor. Mr Banda in a video circulating on social media charged that the students knew nothing about politics and that they should not decide who should monitor the elections in August this year. Mr Kasonde said COBUSU was greatly disturbed by Mr Banda’s reference to students as disgruntled youths who had no capacity to think on their own. “We take exception to the political advisor to Mr. Hichilema for insulting our intelligence as students and the youth who will participate, not only by voting but contribute towards the 22, 000 local monitors in the forthcoming general election. “We are left to wonder what advice the old man is giving to our country’s main opposition leader who belittles the capacity of youths who are the majority voters in the forthcoming general election,” Mr Kasonde said. He said students would not accept to be subjected to any intimidation by people like Mr Banda and foreign financiers who feel they own Zambia because of age and money. He explained that COBUSU had a duty to ensure that students contribute to holding free and fair elections in the country. Mr Kasonde said students wanted to ensure that the forthcoming elections do not pose any risk, either through violence or further spread of the Covid-19.