Nkate updates House on UB rumpus

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Wednesday February 25, 2009 00:00

The minister outlined some of the reasons that led to the disturbances.

'One group of students, who had been staying on-campus in the first semester, decided to move out in  the second semester and demanded that the ministry should pay them off-campus allowance,' he said.

Nkate said his ministry refused to pay off-campus allowance on the grounds that  accommodation was available on campus.

'It should be understood that accommodation at the UB was put up at public cost and it cannot be the same public that should pay for students to stay elsewhere, while thousands of these units remain empty. We have since agreed with the UB management that in future all accommodation should be taken up before we can allow students to stay off campus,' Nkate said.

The minister said the second group of students had failed their final year exam and wanted repeat sponsorship. ' I must indicate that some of the students had, in fact, repeated the subject twice if not more than that, while some were going into their sixth year, for a four-year programme.'

Nkate further said it is clearly stated in the Memorandum of Agreement that repeat sponsorship is not automatic. ' It is for this reason that despite the invitation by the ministry for individual students to present their cases they have failed to do so and instead resorted to class boycott, intimidation of others and destruction of property. I still want to invite any student who feels he/she has a case to come forward,' he said. And contrary to some statements that he refused to talk to the students,  Nkate pointed out that he waited for the Student Representative Council (SRC) to come and see him, even up to  the day the students resorted  to violence.

On the issue of giving students notice, Nkate told Parliament the affected students were written letters on October 20 last year. He said after that the SRC held discussions with the Department of Student Placement and Welfare (DSPW) and the position of the ministry  was communicated to the SRC on October 29. ' It is therefore not true that the students were taken by surprise. They in fact knew that they were not going to be paid allowances in the second semester.

'The time is now to instill a sense of responsibility amongst our youth, lest we act rather late. I therefore call upon parents and responsible citizens of this country to condemn the unruly behaviour that is slowly creeping into our society in the name of enlightenment and rights', Nkate cautioned.