Chancellor College students beat up Vice Principal

Tom Sangala June 2, 2015

653 1 minute read

Chancellor College (Chanco) Vice- Principal Associate Professor Samson Sajidu was on Thursday last week beaten up by angry students following a disagreement that erupted during an impromptu meeting between Students Union of Chancellor College (Succ) and the college’s administration.

Succ president, Frank Chidampamba, confirmed the news.

“The students [did not receive] their stipend allowances until Thursday. A general assembly was, therefore, called to update students on the stipend allowances and stationery loan where we had a disagreement with the college’s administration,” he said.

Chidampamba, however, said following the disagreement, the students started protesting violently by closing Chirunga road that connects University of Malawi (Unima) and Chanco premises.

Said Chidampamba: “The Vice-Principal went to the scene where students closed Chirunga road to control the situation and there was some chaos.

“The Vice-Principal slapped a student and was victimised in the process. Succ executive members went to the scene to calm the situation. After some resistance, the students listened and dispersed and the road was then reopened.”

Commenting on the issue on Monday, Sajidu confirmed to have been harassed by the protesting students who took to the streets without informing management of the college.

“The students started demonstrating in the evening, which is not allowed even in foreign countries because anything can happen to them. In this case, they blocked roads for staff members and there were no administrators there,” he said.

As the only senior member of staff on campus, Sajidu said the lecturers called him to deal with the situation.

Upon observing the situation, Sajidu said he called the police who did not pick his calls.

He said, eventually, a group of students approached and harassed him despite informing them that they would get their allowances on Friday.

According to Sajidu, the issue is currently being handled by the college management.

However, commenting on the issue, Unima Assistant Communications Officer, Alinane Khonje, said the university was not aware of any fight that erupted between the Vice-Principal and the students.

Said Khonje: “All we know is that there was a meeting that ended in catastrophe because the students’ ideas could not match authorities’ suggestions that are in the Constitution.”