A FORMER University of Zambia (UNZA) student has dragged the University Council to the Lusaka High Court for allegedly failing to keep and secure his course records after some of them went missing.

Kabungo Mumbi lamented that that he has been unable to find any source of employment since he completed his university education.

He is now seeking, among other claims, an order that he has satisfied the requirements for the award of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Adult Education and an order directing the Council of the University of Zambia to immediately rectify its student course records and confer a Bachelor of Arts Degree on him.

In a statement of claim filed in the Lusaka High Court Principal Registry, February 25 this year, Mumbi explained that he was enrolled by the University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Adult Education under the Institute of Distance Education on June 12, 2012.

He added that he attended all classes, tests and submitted all the continuous assessment assignments as per requirement of UNZA.

Mumbi stated that his expected year of graduation was 2016.

He stated that on or about September 15, 2016, his final year results were published and strangely, the results were incomplete as courses represented by course codes AED3414, AED4815 and AED3515 were all missing.

Mumbi added that the sad state of affairs implied that he could not graduate and to be conferred with the certificate, being a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Adult Education.

He further stated that on November 30, 2016, he made an appeal to the Council through the Director of the Institute of Distance Education bringing to its attention the grave anomaly and requesting that the anomaly be rectified.

Mumbi stated that as a consequence of the appeal, his course record was partially rectified, and courses AED4815 and AED3515 were accordingly awarded leaving out only course AED3414.

He stated that on March 10, 2018, he made yet another appeal to the Council and personally brought the anomaly to it through the course head of department, a Mr A. H Moonga, all to no avail.

“Unrelenting on the pursuit of his results, the plaintiff on August 14, 2019, wrote yet another appeal to the Council through its Vice-Chancellor, but the appeal was ignored without a response. The plaintiff then decided to seek the services of a legal firm and on November 21, 2019, his lawyers wrote to the Council through its Vice-Chancellor, but that letter, too, was contumelious ignored and disregarded,” read the statement of claim.

Mumbi stated that despite repeated and numerous reminders and appeals, the UNZA Council had neglected or refused to rectify his course records to his complete detriment.

He stated that he had as a result been turned into a destitute despite fulfilling all the requirements for the award of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Adult Education.

“The plaintiff has been unable to find any source of employment since he completed his University education at the institution. The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care to meticulously keep proper custody of his results records,” read the statement of claim.

Mumbi is now seeking damages for loss of expectation of employment, damages for mental stress and anguish suffered and interest on all money that may be found due and owing to him.