The management of the University of Botswana (UB) suspended members of the Student Representative Council (SRC) yesterday following the student body's antics to force fellow students into boycotting lessons.
The SRC has been forcing students out of lecture rooms over the last two days, a situation that worsened yesterday morning when they chained and locked up the rooms to keep students out. They further cordoned off the students from entering the learning areas locking the classrooms with chains and padlocks. Some of the students and lecturers were even locked inside some of the lecture rooms following non-compliance to the SRC's demands, something the student body felt had forced their hand.
The UB SRC went on a strike over many pending issues that affect students but have been going unaddressed. Many students have not been paid their living allowances while some Bachelor of Science (BSc) General students are awaiting application responses. Due to these issues, the SRC felt that learning could not continue while fellow students were being left behind. They were protesting against the university's inaction as "an injury to one is an injury to all".
“I have since received reports from the university’s Department of Protection Services that indicate strongly that the following actions were undertaken by yourself; 'disruption of classes, locking of lecture rooms and inciting other students not to attend classes,'” reads the suspension letter to the SRC’s members.
University management stated that the SRC’s actions go against the code of conduct of a student at UB hence the student body's suspension. The tertiary education institution added that it decided to look out for other students. "In the interest of safeguarding peace and good governance, I hereby invoke my authority with the clause of UB Student Code of Conduct to suspend you from UB with immediate effect,” states the suspension letter. The SRC was ordered to leave campus by 7pm yesterday.
