Tertiary students from different institutions have written a letter lobbying the Office of the President (OP) to intervene in the Limkokwing SRC suspensions issue.
The letter signed by student leaders from various academic institutions was penned last week Wednesday by the UB SRC.
“We plead with your Honourable Office (as the highest office in the country) to intervene and uplift the suspension of Limkokwing Student’s representatives and perhaps find an amicable solution to the problems at hand,” reads the letter.
The University of Botswana Representative Council also said in the letter that it understands the consequences of the move to suspend some students, especially during demonstration times. The UDC-UB also said they take it as their responsibility to meet the Limkokwing management and Limkokwing SRC half way in maintaining peace in the University for Conducive Learning Process.
UB SRC Secretary Genera, l Malumbela Gombalume, said the Limkokwing management was wrong by suspending the students without a hearing. He said the UB SRC together with other tertiary SRCs are in full support of the Limkokwing student leaders as their suspension was illegal. He said as the UB SRC they are calling for intervention from the Minister concerned, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the OP.
Meanwhile the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Grace Muzila, has warned that the striking government sponsored students from any institution will be expelled. The UDC-UB responded fearlessly to this memo in support of their Limkokwing counterparts.
“Our advocacy for justice will not be clouded by threats. In support of the Limkokwing SRC we should join hands and show spirit of no surrender,” said Gombalume.
Meanwhile, in challenging the suspension, the Limkokwing SRC plans to take management to court. One of the suspended students, who asked not to be named for fear of victimisation, said their lawyer, Friday Leburu, is waiting to compile all the names of those suspended by the institution.
More than 25 students have been suspended.
