Windhoek
Following a series of consultative meetings the University of Namibia (Unam) and the Ministry of Higher Education have drafted a document with clear and detailed criteria as to who qualifies for government’s arrangement to have their student debt written off.
The document, which is likely to be made public today, will outline key and strict criteria as to which students qualify to have their debts written off, following government intervention after recent student protests at Unam and the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
Students currently owe both universities over N$100 million in outstanding fees.
New Era has been reliably informed that one of the key criteria is that one has to be a Namibian student, who has excelled throughout their academic career. They must also be an under-graduate student and not post-graduate. Another criteria is that students have to provide financial proof that their parents or guardians are unable to settle the debt.
Higher education minister Dr Itah Kandji-Murangi yesterday confirmed the finalisation of the document, but declined to divulge the details. The document was drafted after Unam sought clarity from the ministry of higher education on the modalities around the proposed cancellation of student debts and registration fees.
“We met with Unam management on Wednesday. The document has been finalised and I’m signing it off now, but I cannot share the content before I send it to the other party involved (Unam). They will inform their students and I will also inform the public on Friday,” the minister explained.
Unam spokesperson John Haufiku could not comment much on the document, but said there is progress between the two parties regarding the issues of writing off student debts and registration fees.
The call to write off student debts and to allow students to register without necessarily paying anything up front follows the much-vaunted student protests led by the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) at Unam and NUST.
Unam charges N$3 550 in registration fees, while NUST charges N$3 500.
Registration at Unam resumed peacefully on Wednesday after the High Court ruled in the university’s favour and against protesters who brought that process to a halt earlier in the week.
Nanso leaders were summoned to the High Court on Tuesday afternoon where they were served with an interdict to stop them from conducting any further protest campaign and lockdown at the main campus, without following proper and lawful procedures as set out in the university’s legislation, policies and grievance procedures.
Following a four-hour hearing Judge Shafimana Uietele on Tuesday night ordered Nanso, its president, secretary-general and any students acting under their leadership to end the “unlawful protest”, which started with protesters blocking the entrance to the university.
NUST’s vice chancellor Professor Tjama Tjivikua subsequently shot down the protesters’ demands that registration fees be abolished, saying such a move would bring the institution to its knees financially.
Following the protests, both institutions have now resumed operations, especially with the registration processes, which is currently in full swing.