2005 COMSU DENIES INFORMATION BLACK OUT

By Sunganani Chamdimba
With only a week before the 2005 COMSU leaves office, a group of students who did not identify themselves accused COMSU of keeping the students body in the dark on various activities their union was undertaking. In a memo posted on notice boards entitled “WHAT HAVE WE BENEFITED FROM COMSU”, the authors cited the minimal number of general assemblies(one in particular), absence of financial reports and no update on presidential trips.

In light of all this, out going COMSU President, Andrew Likaka denied the allegations that his administration has kept students in the dark on important issues. He pointed out the two general assemblies early and late in term one last year, a general assembly early second term(on which Dossani Trust was made known to the students) and a general assembly in third term last year. Likaka argued that pertinent issues were discussed in the general assemblies only that students do not take them seriously. “Only few people could remain in the café to take part in the discussions and no questions are asked”.

Some students, on the other hand feel COMSU could have done more to update them as per observation by a second year student Makani Tchupa and a clinical student (name withheld). The clinical student described the writing of an anonymous memo as a way of seeking attention or feedback on pertinent issues due to the gap between the union and the student body. He added that the union should be sensitive enough to address students before tension builds up

When asked on why many students do not know about the presidential trips he undertook, Likaka blamed poor timing of presentations on Zambia and Egypt trips as were scheduled on busy school weeks and the disruption of academic calendar which made the presentations rescheduled to15th January , 2006, flop. He however stated that the presentations will take place on 28th January , 2006.

Out going COMSU Treasurer, Michael Kayange wondered why one should demand a financial report through an anonymous memo when everybody knows that it “comes out at the end of term of office just as it has been with previous unions . On why bar prices were not “standardized”, Kayange said Southern Bottlers, the bar’s supplier, increased prices a week before COMSU took over the bar forcing COMSU to maintain the prices while it’s counterpart like FOCUS and People’s Trading Centre(PTC) increased their prices during the same period .

Kayange suspected that “there might be disgruntled individuals who would want to wrongly use the name student body to pursue their own personal motives” as there is no evidence that students were consulted when writing the memo. He added that there are always proper channels for airing out views and that people were free to come and ask for information other than speculating

One of the Directors (Transport Director) in the 2005 COMSU, Chatonda Manda, was of the opinion that “people should define how many updates they would require for them to be satisfied that COMSU is giving them information”