Anger as grade 12 student goes missing in Luano District

Acting Luano District Commissioner(DC) Peter Kabichi has called for peace as a primary solution to address unrest between school authorities and the community at Copper Mine Secondary school.

Mr. Kabichi said that his plea for peaceful co-existence was aimed at solving the tense situation which developed after a Grade 12 male pupil went missing from the school for more than 30 days now.

He assured the Community and school authorities that Government wings are doing everything possible to find the missing pupil, saying that there was need for both parties to be part of the solution.

 

Copper Mine School Head Teacher  Judah Mapulanga named the missing pupil as 22 year old Emmanuel Chola who was last seen at the school on April 18, 2015.

Mr. Mapulanga maintained that school authorities had made frantic efforts to search for the missing pupil adding that they had also reported the matter to Police.

Community Representative Paul Mwansa however accused school authorities of being insensitive towards the situation saying that community members directed their anger towards teachers to stir urgency in the search for Emmanuel.

 

Luano’s Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) Secretary Joseph Musonda expressed worry on the safety of teachers at the school saying that they had  received numerous threats of attack from community members.

Mr. Musonda said that the situation is saddening as teachers could not conduct their work in a peaceful environment adding that community members were even inciting pupils to rebel against the teachers.

The consultative meeting which was organized by the school management, was also attended by officials from the Central Province Education Office, Luano District Education Board Secretariat (DEBS), the Council Secretary as well as Zambia Police(ZP) Luano Command.