President of the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) Wilhelem Wilhelm speaks to Toivo Ndjebela about the activities of the historic organisation, the battle for its soul and the real motives of the ‘fees must fall’ campaigns that he and other leaders of the organisation steered earlier this year.
New Era (NE): You’ve been Nanso president for a year now. How would you describe the journey so far?
Wilhelem Wilhelem (WW): It has been a learning process – that students remain central, and all issues should be humanistic based.
NE: What have been the highlights of your tenure so far?
WW: Team work, being on the ground, being able to restore the visibility of the organisation, day-to-day student issues that we have been able to resolve, and build relationships with stakeholders.
NE: Nanso was booted from under the umbrella of NYC last year. What is the current status in that regard?
WW: The National Youth Council is the most useless youth organisation we have in Namibia. It’s a puppy with no teeth. NYC never pronounced itself on matters affecting young people in Namibia; young people are unemployed, young people have no access to education, young people sleep in shacks, where is NYC? NYC is being led by non-graduates, how are we to aspire to them? We need role models, as young people.
NE: The legitimacy of the current Nanso leadership was also being challenged by the old regime. How did that end?
WW: The 2015 congress only elected one leadership and that is the current leadership. Nanso is friends with the former leadership, comrade Angala is our brother and friend. Unity is key.
NE: What’s your comment on suggestions that the Nanso-led ‘fees must fall’ protests earlier this year were an attempt to deliberately undermine the current government?
WW: The lockdown at UNAM and NUST was a resounding success. The lockdown met our intended purpose. The lockdown revealed our strengths and renewed our hope in a brighter future. The lockdown was not a want or wish. It was essential and urgent to address the reality that our parents cannot afford tertiary education. It was an overdue event. Prior to that we were prudent and did a lot of homework. Based on the above we have no interest in undermining the government, we’re merely defending our right to education, with no fear and favour. We have no interest in politics. It is a fact that the general enrolment ratio is at 12 percent and registration fees are a contributing factor to that, so we can’t say it’s not a reality.
NE: President Hage Geingob last year suggested that the student loan system of NSFAF must be replaced with grants to help young people build their wealth portfolios. What’s Nanso’s take on that?
WW: Before that, we already informed our members not to pay back any loan. We are not paying back any NSFAF loans. As we have said, the rules and the logic tell us that recipients are the poor at most, if not all. Learners finish their grade on average at 17 or 18 – the age at which our capitalist government speedily places them in debt. Indeed, we have no shame nor mercy that we place poor 18-year-olds in debt as if it is their problem to be poor. Swapo never asked a cent of anyone’s salary because it educated or facilitated their education in exile. The movement understood the importance of education and never placed, in the best of my knowledge, anyone in debt at that age. The children of the rich study with a free conscience, knowing that they owe no one upon the completion of their studies. This is true of those that snatched the Chinese bursaries; they are not in debt. They study with a free conscience, free of NSFAF trauma. If one is poor and we know so, can’t we let them improve their families’ condition that qualified them for a loan in the first place? Is it correct to spend more than five years paying a government you voted for just because you were poor and couldn’t afford?
NE: What do you think about access to internship for students in Namibia?
WW: The minister of higher education, training and innovation must, urgently, table a bill in parliament, to compel the private sector to give compulsory internships to our students. Internships are key; the private sector must transfer skill and knowledge to our students.
NE: How would you describe Nanso’s relationship with government, particularly the two ministries of education?
WW: Nanso is an independent, militant and revolutionary student organisation, prepared to work with any line ministry, provided that we share similar goals, to improve our education system. We are partners with the two line ministries.
NE: What’s Nanso’s take on proposals to increase Grade 10 pass points to 27?
WW: Our position is that we must first address the issues of access to education, we must address the issues of students sharing textbooks, students walking long distances to access education and issues of accommodation. It cannot be right that our kids are being taught under trees and in tents, that our kids have no access to clean drinking water, it cannot just be right. Not now not ever. Currently we are unable to get 60 percent pass rate in grades 10 and 12, so increasing the pass rate will be a serious crisis.
NE: What’s your take on the state of education in Namibia in general, particularly the low pass rate for grades 10 and 12?
WW: Our education system is in a crisis – there is a need to seriously take stock of what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. Our education system is sending thousands of students into the streets. Our pass rate in grades 10 and 12 is very low – we need to go back to the drawing board. Education is a collective responsibility, which cannot be left to government alone. Teachers, parents and learners have an equal responsibility towards education.
NE: You hold a degree in law. What are your personal future plans?
WW: Personal future plans? I leave that to the future to decide.