WINDHOEK – The much-awaited trial of former president of the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Namibia (Unam) will start today in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court after numerous postponements.

Joseph Kalimbwe, 25, is to stand trial on charges of fraud, forgery and uttering a forged instrument. His trial got deferred numerous times with the court giving a final remand for his trial during previous court proceedings in September. 
According to court records, Kalimbwe was supposed to be in Florida, USA for further studies three months ago. Kalimbwe was arrested on May 31, 2017 following an incident at Unam’s main campus. 

Unam laid criminal charges against him following allegations that he was amongst those that were instigating a group of students to attempt a forced entry into the university’s cafeteria ‘Grub’ on Saturday May 27, 2017.  The students allegedly wanted to make use of the cafeteria for study purposes since all other facilities were full to capacity. Consequently, Kalimbwe and two other students were furnished with expulsion letters ordering them to leave the Unam premises.

The prosecution is charging that Kalimbwe who is a Zambian national forged his proof of registration for the 2017 academic year with the university between February 20 and May 29. In relation to the fraud charge, the prosecution is stating that with the forged document he falsely and with intent defrauded and to the prejudice of the Ministry of Home affairs and Immigration in furnishing him with a study visa.

With the forged document he allegedly induced the university to appoint him as SRC president for the university, while he was not a registered student for the academic year 2017 with the university.
However, according to Kalimbwe he has been registered with the university since 2013.