The Landless People’s Movement’s youth wing, the Student Command Element has written to higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi requesting her to cut funding for the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso)
The LPM youth wing has claimed that the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation has been funding Nanso from 2017 to 2019 to the tune of N$1.2 million (broken down into N$448 000 per annum).
“We, at the Landless People’s Movement Youth and Students Command Element, do not take this lightly. We understand that the ministry has been funding NANSO without any credible basis since 2017, even without any express evidence that they are having audited and verifiable membership base except that they are registered only as Branch’s at the University of Namibia (Unam) and National University of Science and Technology (NUST). Such Branch normally has a minimum of fifty students for being recognized as a student body at those institutions.
“Equally so, NANSO, I wish to caution you, dear hon. minister is not even constituting a substantial number of students both at the institutions of higher education nor at secondary schools. The façade that NANSO projects that they represent the majority of students is wrong and is in fact fraught and criminal. There is no scientific evidence to this claim,” said the wing’s leader, Duminga Ndala.
Ndala has said Nanso enjoys a corrupt relationship with the ministry, describing the oldest student representative body as “obscure and unpopular”.
The LPM also said Nanso is consumed by maladministration, lack of financial management, no membership roll to show that they are a credible student organisation with good standing.
The movement added that Nanso should seek their own funding like all other student organisations and not corruptly depend on the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation.
The corrupt symbiotic relationship, the LPM further said, was forged between Nanso and former Minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa to bolster certain political faction within SWAPO.
“The illegal funding is used as a political tool to advantage NANSO and create a façade which seeks to present NANSO as a strong grassroots student’s movement.
“This arrangement of patronage is discriminatory and lacks accountability. No wonder why we see NANSO failing to stand for the interests of students and more importantly its silence in the issue of NSFAF funding.
“Therefore, the Landless People’s Movement Youth and Students Command Element hereby request the Ministry to cease funding this organization with immediate effect and put an end to this uncalled for discriminatory and illegal exercise. Failure to do so, we will be compelled to seek justice and lodge a court application to investigate the matter,” she told Kandjii-Murangi.
The higher education minister was not reachable by the time of publication.
