Student protest aftermath
Students staged a demonstration recently against the non-payment of N$700 million in refunds from the finance ministry to the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
Elizabeth Joseph
They also demanded that higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi push for the release of N$730 million from treasury owed to them.
The students were confronted by an allegedly aggressive police force.
According to the students, they feel disappointed and disregarded, because of certain expectations and promises, which were not kept.
This was no ordinary, peaceful demonstration because emotions ran high.
The students also said they were not impressed with how the police handled the demonstration.
Peter Siska, a fourth-year bachelor of accounting student at Unam said he just wants the student fund and the ministry to keep their promises.
“To me the demonstration was successful... The interference of the police force was also a big thorn in our sides, because they were brought there to intimidate us and we did not carry any weapons.”
Nust SRC president, Marvellous Shilongo, said they tried their best to distance themselves from the demonstration.
The NSFAF board is facing big decisions, which will determine whether the fund will remain a parastatal or whether it will be reintegrated into the higher education ministry.
The law
According police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration quickly turned violent, infringing on the rights of others.
“The petition which the permanent secretary of the higher education ministry’s permanent secretary, Mr Van Kent, came to receive was willingly withheld by the demonstrators. They demanded that the petition be received personally by the minister herself. After a long, strenuous debate, the minister came and accepted the petition, with the assurance that she will consult management and revert back to the Nanso leadership,” said Kanguatjivi
The students went further and said they wanted the minister’s undertaking in writing and four of them accompanied her to her office for a discussion.
“Upon returning from the minister’s office the demonstrators decided that they will not disperse and would stay put, and if necessary they will shut down the ministry, which is a violation of section 3(1) of the Public Gatherings Proclamation, AG23 of 1989, which stipulates that ‘no organisers, speakers or other participants in peaceful demonstrations shall make any utterances that are subversive to the authority of the Government of the Republic of Namibia,” Kanguatjivi said.
Next step
Kandjii-Murangi said the next step in ensuring this is not an ongoing crisis is that the students need to trust that the ministry is serious about finding a lasting solution.
She said it is important to realise that both the students and the ministry equally care about the quality of tertiary education in Namibia.
“The government will fund what it said it would fund; no doubt about it. Everyone in the Namibian house has to contribute a helping hand.”
The decision to no longer pay refunds came from the fact that the surplus funds can be utilised to fund for someone else’s education.
“This demonstration turned into an unfortunate event because no one wants to see anyone get hurt. However it is important for us as a country that upholds law and order that we should continue to uphold it even though emotions run high.”
Not impressed
The ACTION Coalition, which has campaigned tirelessly for an access to information law in Namibia, said it was concerned about the police’s behaviour.
“We are deeply concerned by the violent and intimidating actions employed by the police to disperse demonstrating students. The students were protesting the non-payment of tertiary education fees by NSFAF,” it said, saying further it condemns the physical intimidation, which is reminiscent of the way apartheid security forces used to deal with anti-apartheid demonstrations.
The ACTION Coalition also drew attention to a trend emerging of police officers responding over-aggressively to protest situations aimed at state and ruling party functionaries and facilities.
In 2016 students also staged a demonstration to have registration fees waived and protests have also erupted over frustrations about delayed payments.
They also demanded that higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi push for the release of N$730 million from treasury owed to them.
The students were confronted by an allegedly aggressive police force.
According to the students, they feel disappointed and disregarded, because of certain expectations and promises, which were not kept.
This was no ordinary, peaceful demonstration because emotions ran high.
The students also said they were not impressed with how the police handled the demonstration.
Peter Siska, a fourth-year bachelor of accounting student at Unam said he just wants the student fund and the ministry to keep their promises.
“To me the demonstration was successful... The interference of the police force was also a big thorn in our sides, because they were brought there to intimidate us and we did not carry any weapons.”
Nust SRC president, Marvellous Shilongo, said they tried their best to distance themselves from the demonstration.
The NSFAF board is facing big decisions, which will determine whether the fund will remain a parastatal or whether it will be reintegrated into the higher education ministry.
The law
According police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration quickly turned violent, infringing on the rights of others.
“The petition which the permanent secretary of the higher education ministry’s permanent secretary, Mr Van Kent, came to receive was willingly withheld by the demonstrators. They demanded that the petition be received personally by the minister herself. After a long, strenuous debate, the minister came and accepted the petition, with the assurance that she will consult management and revert back to the Nanso leadership,” said Kanguatjivi
The students went further and said they wanted the minister’s undertaking in writing and four of them accompanied her to her office for a discussion.
“Upon returning from the minister’s office the demonstrators decided that they will not disperse and would stay put, and if necessary they will shut down the ministry, which is a violation of section 3(1) of the Public Gatherings Proclamation, AG23 of 1989, which stipulates that ‘no organisers, speakers or other participants in peaceful demonstrations shall make any utterances that are subversive to the authority of the Government of the Republic of Namibia,” Kanguatjivi said.
Next step
Kandjii-Murangi said the next step in ensuring this is not an ongoing crisis is that the students need to trust that the ministry is serious about finding a lasting solution.
She said it is important to realise that both the students and the ministry equally care about the quality of tertiary education in Namibia.
“The government will fund what it said it would fund; no doubt about it. Everyone in the Namibian house has to contribute a helping hand.”
The decision to no longer pay refunds came from the fact that the surplus funds can be utilised to fund for someone else’s education.
“This demonstration turned into an unfortunate event because no one wants to see anyone get hurt. However it is important for us as a country that upholds law and order that we should continue to uphold it even though emotions run high.”
Not impressed
The ACTION Coalition, which has campaigned tirelessly for an access to information law in Namibia, said it was concerned about the police’s behaviour.
“We are deeply concerned by the violent and intimidating actions employed by the police to disperse demonstrating students. The students were protesting the non-payment of tertiary education fees by NSFAF,” it said, saying further it condemns the physical intimidation, which is reminiscent of the way apartheid security forces used to deal with anti-apartheid demonstrations.
The ACTION Coalition also drew attention to a trend emerging of police officers responding over-aggressively to protest situations aimed at state and ruling party functionaries and facilities.
In 2016 students also staged a demonstration to have registration fees waived and protests have also erupted over frustrations about delayed payments.
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