ZONE: SUN demands immediate payouts

As students face exams on empty stomachs
While NSFAF students have been cleared to sit for their exams, many are doing so on empty stomachs as bureaucratic delays at the fund leave thousands without accommodation and food allowances.
Rozanne Swart
  • 3 Days Ago

The Student Union of Namibia (SUN) says urgent concerns remain despite reaching an agreement with the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) last week to ensure funded students are allowed to sit for examinations.

Under the agreement, NSFAF issued a letter to higher education institutions urging them to allow funded students to write examinations regardless of whether tuition fees had been paid.

The letter was distributed to all institutions, which are expected to comply.

SUN board chairperson Benhard Kavau warned that the union would act against institutions that refuse students access to examinations. “Should we find any institution breaking this communication, we'll deal with them. In fact, we'll lock down that institution if need be, and we'll initiate legal proceedings.”

With examination access largely secured, SUN has shifted its focus to what it describes as the next urgent priority: the payment of accommodation and other non-tuition allowances.

For many students, these allowances cover essential expenses such as rent, food and transport. “We are very worried as a union. Students are sitting in examinations now on an empty stomach, while their study materials are not there,” Kavau said.

Victoria Johannes, a third-year Bachelor of Education student, said the delays were affecting students' ability to meet basic needs. “I don't know if our government really understands the youth. I don't know if they understand the realities students in Namibia face. This is our means of survival,” she said.

Another student, Stefanus Hangodji, said the uncertainty was placing students under psychological pressure. “It is disturbing our psychology. You are studying, but you are thinking about unpaid rent and not having enough food while waiting for NSFAF. Every day they are just giving updates,” he said.

The current challenges follow the recent integration of NSFAF into the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, alongside the implementation of subsidised tertiary education funding.

According to SUN, the changes have contributed to significant administrative backlogs. The union said about 51 000 students applied for NSFAF funding this year, substantially more than in previous years.

To help address the backlog, SUN proposed recruiting 50 student interns to strengthen the fund's administrative capacity, a proposal that has since been accepted.

“So moving forward, there will be no story from NSFAF that they do not have enough human capital. We have provided solutions for them,” Kavau said.