Angolan students take on Unam

THE University of Namibia’s decision to expel 165 Angolan students because of claims that they forged academic qualifications is set to be attacked in the High Court.

Legal papers kicking off an urgent case that 11 Angolan students at Unam are bringing against the university were served on the institution yesterday. The documents inform the university that the 11 will launch an urgent application in the High Court on Thursday next week to have their expulsions and course cancellations declared unconstitutional and invalid.They will also ask the court to direct Unam to: * Enrol them immediately as students for the 2004 academic year, * Release the results of examinations they sat last October and November; and to: * Tell those among the 11 who have applied to sit special or supplementary exams the outcome of their applications.The case against Unam flows from a decision of the university late last year to expel 165 Angolan students – or, in the university’s term, to “de-register” them.That step was taken after a 28-year-old Angolan national resident in Namibia, Manuel Jose Adriano, was arrested and charged with fraud, forgery and uttering for allegedly supplying Angolan students in Namibia with false academic certificates.It is claimed the students paid Adriano between US$300 and US$400 for every forged qualification or translation of a qualification supposed to have been supplied by him.Unam spokesperson Edwin Tjiramba has denied that all Angolan students registered at Unam were expelled over the affair.The university authorities say they examined the qualifications of 196 Angolan students, of whom 165 were “de-registered” after their previous academic qualifications or translations of their school certificates were found to have been forged.The letter informing the students of their “de-registration” was dated December 9 2003.But, according to the court papers filed yesterday, most of the 11 received it only last month when they returned to Namibia to resume their studies.The letter was succinct.It stated: “We hereby wish to inform you that the Executive Committee of Senate has requested that your studies at the University of Namibia be cancelled with immediate effect and all courses passed at Unam be declared null and void and of no academic value for future admission to this or any other university.”Should you have any queries in this regard, please feel free to contact the undersigned”.According to Pedro Chicaia Simba Mamuba, one of the students suing Unam, his receipt of that letter on January 27 was the first he had heard anything from the university about its plan to expel him.Neither he, nor any of the 10 other students, were informed of any reasons for the university’s decision, says Mamuba in an affidavit filed in support of his case.Unam also never informed the students of the pending decision or consulted them before taking the decisions, states Mamuba, who plans to register for his fourth and final year of studies for a Bachelor in Business Administration degree this year.Mamuba goes on to claim the students were never warned they risked this sort of action, and only came to know of it when they read about it in The Namibian late last month.He states that he and his fellow students can only speculate about the reasons for their expulsion.In early November, he relates, all Angolan nationals who were students at Unam were called to a meeting.There a person, who introduced himself as a Police officer, informed them that 50 Angolan students had been found to have forged their qualifications – their names were read out, Mamuba claims – and the meeting was told they would be expelled.”The arbitrary decisions by the respondent (Unam) to expel us and expunge our academic records have a devastating and far-reaching impact on all of us,” Mamuba states.He argues that Unam’s decision to expel them without at least the opportunity of a prior hearing is unconstitutional and against their right to justice.Mamuba also claims the decision contravenes the students’ constitutional right to equality, and discriminates against them because of their national origin.The 11’s lawyer, Norman Tjombe of the Legal Assistance Centre, addressed an urgent letter to Unam, demanding that the 11 be allowed to register for this year, says Mamuba.When their case was filed five days later they had still received no reply.The documents inform the university that the 11 will launch an urgent application in the High Court on Thursday next week to have their expulsions and course cancellations declared unconstitutional and invalid. They will also ask the court to direct Unam to: * Enrol them immediately as students for the 2004 academic year, * Release the results of examinations they sat last October and November; and to: * Tell those among the 11 who have applied to sit special or supplementary exams the outcome of their applications. The case against Unam flows from a decision of the university late last year to expel 165 Angolan students – or, in the university’s term, to “de-register” them. That step was taken after a 28-year-old Angolan national resident in Namibia, Manuel Jose Adriano, was arrested and charged with fraud, forgery and uttering for allegedly supplying Angolan students in Namibia with false academic certificates. It is claimed the students paid Adriano between US$300 and US$400 for every forged qualification or translation of a qualification supposed to have been supplied by him. Unam spokesperson Edwin Tjiramba has denied that all Angolan students registered at Unam were expelled over the affair. The university authorities say they examined the qualifications of 196 Angolan students, of whom 165 were “de-registered” after their previous academic qualifications or translations of their school certificates were found to have been forged. The letter informing the students of their “de-registration” was dated December 9 2003. But, according to the court papers filed yesterday, most of the 11 received it only last month when they returned to Namibia to resume their studies. The letter was succinct. It stated: “We hereby wish to inform you that the Executive Committee of Senate has requested that your studies at the University of Namibia be cancelled with immediate effect and all courses passed at Unam be declared null and void and of no academic value for future admission to this or any other university. “Should you have any queries in this regard, please feel free to contact the undersigned”. According to Pedro Chicaia Simba Mamuba, one of the students suing Unam, his receipt of that letter on January 27 was the first he had heard anything from the university about its plan to expel him. Neither he, nor any of the 10 other students, were informed of any reasons for the university’s decision, says Mamuba in an affidavit filed in support of his case. Unam also never informed the students of the pending decision or consulted them before taking the decisions, states Mamuba, who plans to register for his fourth and final year of studies for a Bachelor in Business Administration degree this year. Mamuba goes on to claim the students were never warned they risked this sort of action, and only came to know of it when they read about it in The Namibian late last month. He states that he and his fellow students can only speculate about the reasons for their expulsion. In early November, he relates, all Angolan nationals who were students at Unam were called to a meeting. There a person, who introduced himself as a Police officer, informed them that 50 Angolan students had been found to have forged their qualifications – their names were read out, Mamuba claims – and the meeting was told they would be expelled. “The arbitrary decisions by the respondent (Unam) to expel us and expunge our academic records have a devastating and far-reaching impact on all of us,” Mamuba states. He argues that Unam’s decision to expel them without at least the opportunity of a prior hearing is unconstitutional and against their right to justice. Mamuba also claims the decision contravenes the students’ constitutional right to equali
ty, and discriminates against them because of their national origin. The 11’s lawyer, Norman Tjombe of the Legal Assistance Centre, addressed an urgent letter to Unam, demanding that the 11 be allowed to register for this year, says Mamuba. When their case was filed five days later they had still received no reply.