Four years wasted at Limkokwing

A GROUP of 15 young Namibians with disabilities are still reeling in shock after discovering four years of studying at the Limkokwing University in Botswana have left them with unrecognised qualifications.

The Directorate of Disability Affairs sent the students, who were funded by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF), to the university in 2016 in an effort to empower them.

Following the students’ graduation in 2019, they presented their qualifications to the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), only to discover the courses they did were not accredited with the authority.

The NQA told them certificate courses at the university are accredited, but their diplomas in television and radio broadcasting, as well as in retailing and merchandising were not, they say.

One of the students, Harry Rheeder (34) who has a visual impairment, says he and his colleagues were sent to Botswana’s Limkokwing University in 2016 to do diploma courses.

“Some 15 of us were sent there to go and study, and we all have different kinds of disabilities,” Rhedeer says.

A 29-year-old student, who chooses to remain anonymous, says spending four years on an unaccredited course has left her heartbroken.

“People like us who have disabilities have few opportunities,” she says.

She says she supports five siblings with her disability grant.

“Everything we tried was just a waste of time. Coming back here, there is nothing for you, and you wasted four years.

“Even your family will look at you like you went there for nothing,” she says.

Another disappointed student, Felix Kamunoko (33), says he regrets leaving his job as a cashier to study towards an unaccredited qualification.

He says he got his diploma in retailing and merchandising, as well as a certificate, but only the certificate was acknowledged by the NQA.

“I am very frustrated . . . leaving home for four years to return with close to nothing,” Kamunoko says.

On top of this, he is his family’s breadwinner.

To supplement his disability grant, Kamunoko says he provides gardening services.

“I left my job in the hope of something better, now I keep applying for jobs, but never get call-backs. What was the use of sending us to Botswana?” he asks.

Elifas Iyambo (27) obtained a diploma in television and radio broadcasting at Limkokwing, and says the current situation is painful.

Like the rest of the students he has responsibilities and dependants.

“I was introduced to this programme while I was busy improving my Grade 12 subjects at the Namibia College of Open Learning (Namcol),” he says.

“We were promised jobs after graduating, so, at the time I did not have anything to lose. I thought I may as well use the opportunity,” Iyambo says.

Deputy minister of disability affairs Alexia Manombe-Ncube yesterday said the directorate is aware that some courses students were sent to do in Botswana in 2016 are not accredited.

She said the directorate has sent enquiries to the high commission of Namibia in Botswana, which took the issue up with Limkokwing University in Botswana.

“The answer we received was that Limkowing University in Botswana is still in the process of sorting out the situation and will revert to us,” she said.

Manombe-Ncube said the programme involving students with disabilities was a special initiative of the NSFAF. She said the directorate takes responsibility for the situation as they did not ensure that some of the courses were accredited.

NSFAF acting chief executive officer Kennedy Kandume says it is simply a matter of time before the qualifications would be accredited.

“There is nothing wrong with the qualifications. It is just a matter of time and for the process to be sorted out by the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) to be followed by the institution, and then the qualifications are accredited,” he says.

“It is not to say that the qualifications and its entities are not recognised, and therefore it’s a waste of money, but it is a matter of the process being followed for the accreditation and recognition of the qualifications to be completed,” Kandume says.

Limkokwing University’s regional director of academic management, Onalenna Phambuka, says both diplomas have been approved by the BQA.

“ However, the transformation in the BQA accreditation system from the old system to the new accreditation framework resulted in graduates from these programmes completing their studies while the transitioning is still in progress. Hence the current status,” she says.

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