The University of Botswana management has slapped the UB Student Representative Council with fresh letters instructing them to pay tuition fees not later than the 13th September 2013, failing which they will be deregistered as students.
Last week the Ministry of Education announced it was withdrawing its sponsorship atleast 16 students mostly UBSRC members accused of leading a class boycott during a strike over student allowances and book bursaries.
In the letters authored by UB’s Director of Student Welfare, Mr. Kitso Sedisa, the University has informed the student leaders that it has been notified by the ministry of Education of the suspension of the student leaders’s sponsorship for tertiary education for 12 months effective the 1st of September.
“Following the suspension referred to above, you are expected to make provisions for the payment of your fees with the Student Debtors section of the University which should be with effect from 1st 2013. You have until 13th September 2013 to have paid the fees, failing which your registration with the University will be revoked” states Sedisa.
In an interview with the SundayStandard over the issue, UB SRC President Kago Mokotedi questioned the legality of the sponsorship suspension.
“The letter presents a dichotomy: the Ministry of Education when revoking our sponsorship purported to have relied on information from UB regarding our alleged misconduct, yet the very same UB have not sanctioned the SRC leadership or called it for a hearing. The question that suffices is what validates the information sent by UB to the Ministry?” said Mokotedi.
The student leaders have vowed to challenge the ministry’s decision in court.
