The academic career of a first year Public Management student at the University of Namibia (Unam) could be short-lived, as the higher institution of learning has threatened to prevent her from its lecture halls because she owes it N$59 000 in outstanding hostel and tuition fees.
Purity Katukula (25) from 31 Miles in the Zambezi Region holds a diploma in Local Government Studies from Unam and initially had requested for anonymity on grounds fellow university students will subject her to mockery and unwarranted ridicule.
The dean of students had initially assisted the student during her two-year diploma course, but during her second year the dean could not settle her account.
According to Katukula, she was told there was a large number of students that pleaded for help that year and she was unfortunate to be among those that were left out.
That left her owing Unam N$19 000 in addition to approximately N$40 000 for the 2015 academic year.
Katukula was, however, fortunate this year to be awarded a study loan of N$32 000 from the Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) to fund her three-year course, but the amount is however not enough to cover hostel and tuition fees.
In an interview with New Era last week, Katukula said she has been given until July 1 to clear her arrears or face eviction from the hostel and she will not be allowed to be in the hostel the next semester despite that she will be allowed to sit for exams this semester.
She appealed to Good Samaritans, be it in government, individuals or the private sector, to assist her in any way they could so that she can pay off her debt. She also appealed to the Office of the Prime Minister to come to her rescue lest she prematurely aborts her studies.
Katukula further said she has no relatives in Windhoek where she can stay once she is evicted from hostel, adding that her uncle who assisted her somehow during her diploma course now works in Zambia.