Oodi students, police clash over allowances

Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Thursday November 3, 2016 15:24

 

Classes at the vocational college were suspended while members of staff and their support colleagues waited outside the college, after the students barricaded the college gate with tree branches and stones.

Mmegi visited the college late morning and found the situation calmer, with students scattered around the college. Only a few were gathered at the gate. A police van was parked at the entrance, with about 10 officers present to monitor the situation.

A mob of students gathered around the Mmegi news crew demanding to know its interest, but no dangerous incident occurred.

Student Representative Council president, Phuthego Phuthego told Mmegi that at the core of their grievances was the issue of unpaid P300 per month living allowances, which he said dated back to January 2016.

“It’s been 10 months now.  We have written letters and talked to the college management and the Department of Vocational Education and Training about this, but nothing has come off it.

“We decided to stage a peaceful demonstration. We blocked the gate because we did not want those from outside entering the college and demanding the attention of the decision-makers,” Phuthego said.

He continued: “Of course the police came, but we never had any intention to destroy any college property. That is why nothing has been damaged. However, students were fuming because they want their money”.

Phuthego also said besides the unpaid allowances, students were unhappy about several other issues. These include shortage of lecturers for Association of Business Management and Accounting (ABMA), lack of essential and proper practical equipment, shortage of water and untidiness of the college.

“We share these premises with AFDA and in most cases they have water, but we don’t. When we also go out into the village we find that there is water in the village.”

The SRC president said the demonstration had apparently worked as college management later informed students that allowances for three months would be paid.

“It is unfortunate that for our demands to be met, there always has to be a strike or demonstration first. “We were told that they are processing our allowances today.  We will only receive P900 as allowance for January to March.  We have been told that the allowance for vocational institutions was stopped in April.

“Some of the students have already been given claim forms to go to revenues.”

Efforts to secure a comment from the college management were unsuccessful as the college principal was said to be locked in a meeting.