Opposition Give UB Rioters Homes
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday February 13, 2017 16:22
The University was closed with immediate effect following riots for delayed payment of their monthly allowances to some. In the University’s memorandum, the UB council stated that the closure was following the students’ disruptions on the Gaborone campus over the past few days.
In an interview with The Monitor, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gaborone Central Phenyo Butale said the students who were staying on campus were left stranded after being forced to vacate the university campus at a short notice.
“Those students were running away from the police brutality. When they tried to seek refuge at Parliament, they found the police waiting for them there so they had to retreat.
They were also assaulted at main mall so they decided to seek help from their mayor, Kagiso Thutlwe.
We gathered them at the Civic Centre hall (Gaborone City Council) where we addressed them and decided to call on the public to help them,” he said.
Butale said together with Thutlwe they decided to take money from their pockets and feed the evidently starving students.
Even though some had received their monthly allowances that day, Butale said many of them left their ATM cards, medicines and belongings in their rooms at the University because they were forced out of the campus at a short notice.
He said even though he and UDC leader Duma Boko gave some students accommodation at their constituency offices, the public had been of great help as they had accommodated and fed most of the students.
“Most of the students that stay on campus come from very far villages such as Maun, Parakarungu and others.
We couldn’t leave them stranded and helpless so we decided to help them.
I commend Batswana for showing the spirit of Botho as immediately when we called upon them for help they responded in a big way. Some volunteered to give them food.
Butale said they were able to organise transport that would transport the students for convenience.
He also pointed out that since the court ruled that the students must be given supervised access into the University to collect important necessities such as their medication, credit cards and others, they would continue to accommodate them until they learn about the outcome of the University Council meeting today (Monday).
“We hope that the Council will decide to open the campus today because all the students have been given their allowances.
If it does not do so, they will have to go to their respective home villages since they have been given some money to do so,” he ended.