ONGWEDIVA – Lukas Kativa, a 22-year-old student at the University of Namibia’s Jose Eduardo dos Santos Engineering Campus in Ongwediva, was granted bail for N$3 000 on Friday.
He appeared in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court after allegedly stealing computer components from the university’s computer lab.
His case was postponed to 23 February 2026 for further police investigations.
The alleged theft occurred in June.
The stolen items, valued at N$45 000, include a computer power supply, two graphics cards and a motherboard.
Deputy Commissioner Frederick Ndjadila of the Oshana Regional Police confirmed the incident.
It is alleged that a security officer at the campus received an SMS from an unknown student, instructing him to review the CCTV footage of the computer lab.
The officer immediately proceeded to the surveillance room.
Upon checking the footage, he rushed to the computer lab, where he discovered that one computer box was missing.
On 31 July, an IT technician inspecting the lab noticed a computer that was disconnected, with cables hanging loosely.
“When he got closer, he saw that the computer box was empty, containing only the outer casing,” said the officer.
The technician then reviewed the CCTV footage from that date and identified a second-year student removing parts from the computer.
The police said that last Monday, the suspect approached a security officer while carrying a black backpack that contained computer parts.
He allegedly informed the officer that he was returning the parts he had stolen from the lab.
The security officer then alerted his colleagues, who reported the matter to the police.
Campus director Petrina Johannes said Unam takes all cases of student misconduct seriously and addresses them through the student code of conduct and disciplinary procedures.
“The implicated student has been reported to the student academic disciplinary committee. A formal hearing will be held to determine the appropriate institutional action. In accordance with Clause 6.1.5, for theft, fraud or dishonesty, disciplinary outcomes may range from suspension to expulsion, depending on the severity and findings,” Johannes said.