Ex-student’s union leader, Mwanza, fears hijack of UNZA students body by politicians

Democratic Progressive Party leader, Antonio Mwanza, says the University of Zambia’s (UNZA) strength exists in its independence and its ability to represent all students, regardless of political ideology or background. Mwanza urged politicians to stop interfering in the affairs of the University of Zambia (UNZA), warning that political influence over the institution would undermine its core mission. In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, Mwanza a former University of Zambia Students Union (UNZASU) president, said the student union was created to serve students—not political parties.

He argued that once a student union became partisan, it lost its legitimacy and could no longer speak for all students. Instead, it begins “choosing sides,” eroding trust and weakening its mandate. Mwanza warned that the risk of politicisation was real, noting that some political actors invested in student structures to influence, recruit, or control, rather than out of genuine goodwill.

“When that happens, student leaders stop being accountable to students and start answering to political patrons,” he said, cautioning that such influence opened the door to manipulation. He added that real issues affecting students—such as sanitation, accommodation and general welfare—risked being sidelined or used selectively depending on political convenience. Mwanza stressed that UNZASU’s authority depended on its credibility as the authentic voice of students, not on political alignment.

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“A strong student union must be independent. It must be guided by facts, student needs, and principle—not party lines,” he said. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.

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