University of Botswana (UB) students’ case filed against the Ministry of Education was on Monday dismissed and declared not an urgent matter by Lobatse High Court judge, Justice Wadia.
Wadia advised the students to file a motion against the Ministry using normal court procedure.
Molatedi Kgotla, vice-president of the UB Student Representative Council (SRC), said the student body is under pressure to deliver positive, uplifting news to the already edgy student population, especially the retaking students.
In the eyes of the students, the current SRC is already under pressure to deliver and prove themselves after word circulated that about four of its members had been extremely negligent of their office duties and were not involved in the journey to take the ministry to task.
Kgotla revealed to the Sunday Standard that the situation facing retaking students was so appalling that many of those living off-campus had been asked to relocate by their landlords because they couldn’t afford to pay for their accommodation.
Kgotla lamented that a memorandum had been passed around informing students who lived on campus that students with IDs from 2004 or earlier years would no longer be eligible to stay on campus unless they pay for themselves; the same applied to other retaking students.
The Ministry of Education made a decision to pay only tuition fees for that particular group of students, declining to pay maintenance, accommodation and personal allowance.
Kgotla said that they are constantly receiving cases where retaking students have had no option but to go back home because their parents could not afford to maintain them with their accommodation and personal fees.
“As we speak, we are continuously holding meetings with the management of the school to cease from forcing retaking students to evacuate the accommodation hallways. So far, they seem to be co-operating with us because they can see we have a good case,” said Kgotla.
