ACTING UNZA School of Law Dean Dr Lungowe Matakala and Assistant Dean for undergraduate James Kayula have resigned with immediate effect in protest against Vice Chancellor Professor Luke Mumba’s mismanagement of the University.

But when contacted, Prof Mumba declined to comment and referred all queries to the Registrar.

According to sources within UNZA, the Law School had been running in crisis mode since 2018 when Prof Mumba imposed an external person to be the Dean against lecturers’ wishes.

“The Acting UNZA School of Law Dean, Dr Lungowe Matakala and Assistant Dean for undergraduate, Mr James Kayula resigned with immediate effect on 9th March 2022 in protest against the Vice Chancellor Lukas Evuta Mumba’s mismanagement of the University and his attempt to interfere with the School’s examination results and progression rules. The School has said that the School has been running in crisis mode since 2018 when the VC imposed an external person to be the Dean, against the wishes of all the lecturers. The imposed Dean has been antagonistic and drained staff morale in the School,” sources said.

“What is happening in the School has actually been the order of the day since 2018 as many lectures have either refused to work with the Dean who was imposed by the CV or have resigned their positions. Examples of these are Dr. Chewe who resigned as Assistant Dean Undergraduate, Dr. Siangandu who resigned as Head of Department, Dr Sambo, who resigned as head of Department, Dr Mandhu who recently resigned as head of Department and Dr. Sangwani who resigned as Head of Department and subsequently left UNZA Law School in protest at the way the School was being mismanaged.”

The sources wondered why the new dawn government was keeping Prof Mumba in office.

“We wonder why the new government was keeping the VC considering that what he wants to do amounts to corruption as it is a clear case of abuse of authority and he has failed to run the University. We are a public University founded by an Act of parliament and our lives are regulated by law. The VC should not be allowed to run the institution capriciously. The current resignations were not a surprise. What is actually happening is that the VC has been championing a lot of illegalities in an effort to keep his job and pretend to the Ministry of Education that things are well at UNZA and that UNZA can raise its own funds. To entertain this fantasy, the VC went into a frenzy of over-enrollment just to get as much money as he can from students,” sources said.

But when contacted, Prof Mumba declined to comment and referred all queries to the registrar.

“You ask the registrar who is the spokesperson of the University. I have no comment. I am referring you to the registrar who should be able to respond,” said Prof Mumba.