Windhoek
A male student at the University of Namibia (Unam) was stabbed on campus on Friday night after a quarrel allegedly erupted with a non-student over a cellphone that had gone missing.
It is alleged the student, a Zambian national, got stabbed at the Leisure Centre parking lot after he confronted another man that he suspected of stealing his phone. The suspect, who is still on the run, then took out a knife and stabbed the student on the spot. The student, who has not yet been named, had to be urgently rushed to hospital and is said to be in a stable condition.
It is not immediately clear how many stabwounds he suffered, but circulating rumours wrongly suggested the student had died upon arrival at the Katutura State hospital from his wounds. His cellphone has also not yet been recovered.
Unam spokesperson, John Haufiku yesterday confirmed that the university is in close contact with the injured student and noted that he is in a stable condition.
The incident was one of several fights that broke out during the cultural festival held on campus over the weekend. Following the outbreak of violence the festival was temporarily suspended until yesterday (Sunday).
Haufiku said, although there were some fights during the cultural festival, the stabbing did not happen on the sportgrounds where the festival was being held. He said it happened at the Leisure Centre, which was organising a farewell party for the former Director General of the NBC, Albertus Aochamub, who was recently appointed as the presidential press secretary. It is understood the Leisure Centre was selling alcohol at a lower price compared to the prices charged inside the stadium where the cultural festival was held. Hence, many students were reportedly buying liquor there and started drinking in the parking lot, where the stabbing incident happened.
There have also been calls for Unam to end hosting of their cultural festival on campus, but Haukifu said the university cannot deny students the right to a social life while they study.
He said the latest stabbing has prompted the university to review all security protocols with special focus on access to entertainment areas: “Unam security is working around the clock to assist the police in tracing the suspect,” he noted. “The university is saddened by this incident,” Haufiku said. “If criminals think that it is open season to target Unam students, they have another thing coming,” he warned.