Nuusita Ashipala
Ongwediva
The University of Namibia (Unam) has laid a charge of malicious damage to property against three of its Student Representative Council (SRC) leaders for their alleged involvement in an attempted break-in at the main campus cafeteria, ‘The Grub’, over the weekend.
It also threatened to bar the three students from the campus and to suspend them from their leadership positions, pending the finalisation of the investigation into the allegations and any disciplinary actions that may be taken against them.
But the university’s management had accorded the students until yesterday to give reason why they should not be barred from campus or suspended from the leadership positions.
The students, who claimed to want to use ‘The Grub’ as a studying area, bemoan a lack of studying space saying the library is not sufficient for the UNAM population.
Unam’s spokesperson, Simon Namesho said the names of the three students will only be revealed if the suspension is effected.
Namesho said the concerned students have already been issued with the notices of intentions.
“The incidences involved alleged participation in breaking into Unam property, destruction of Unam property, disorderly or riotous actions, disorderly or disruptive conduct, amongst others,” said Namesho.
Meanwhile, Unam’s Oshakati Campus this month also opened a case of trespassing against its SRC vice-president Junias Shilongo who with other students erected a shack at its northern campus.
Communications and marketing officer at Unam, Linus Hamunyela, said the case has been opened against the apparent ring leader Shilongo and his followers for unlawfully bringing weapons on campus and for illegally occupying land on campus.
Hamunyela said the case opened is a cue to deter students to construct shacks on campus in future.