Unam SRC urges Govt to rescue NSFAF

THE University of Namibia’s Students Representative Council (SRC) yesterday gave the government 48 hours to find alternative ways of assisting the university’s non-funded students.

SRC president Kudzai Sibanda told a media conference yesterday that the matter is a national crisis, which he said is a result of a lack of proper administration.

The media conference was in response to the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF)’s announcement last week that over 12 000 students will not be funded due to a lack of funds.

The SRC is demanding that the government, through NSFAF, reforms its selection criteria, and award confirmation letters to all 15 087 applicants while sourcing funds. Sibanda also appealed to treasury to release the N$641 million needed by NSFAF to fund all qualifying candidates.

“Failure to respond and adhere to these demands will leave us with no other option but to resort to a demonstration,” he said.

The SRC president also used the platform to respond to president Hage Geingob’s earlier comments during a meeting with Nanso leaders.

Geingob reportedly said not all the funded students are poor, and called for a reform of the criteria used in awarding financial assistance to students.

Sibanda said NSFAF was created for a reason, and should thus fullfil its mandate without discriminating against those it is supposed to be assisting.

“Everybody should be educated by the government. In the past, we know NSFAF has been (helping in) educating people. Why should it stop now?” he questioned.

Maximalliant Katjimune, the Unam SRC spokesperson, said an estimated 7 000 or 8 000 students from Unam have been affected by the non-funding issue.

Second-year psychology student Hainushka Kashona told those gathered for the media briefing that this will be the second time that she will not receive government-funded assistance.

“Last year when I applied for NSFAF, they rejected me due to a missing document. They didn’t give us a chance, like they did this year. My mother then took a bank loan, and she paid for my fees last year. This year again, we were so certain that I would be funded. Everything was in place this time around, but then I did not get anything yet,” Kashona said.

Meanwhile, students from institutions of higher learning were today expected to march against NSFAF’s decision to fund a mere 19% of eligible 2019 applicants.