Itula accuses Govt of backtracking on ‘fees must fall’ pledge

Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) president Panduleni Itula has criticised the government’s revised approach to free tertiary education, describing it as a retreat from its original ‘fees must fall’ promise.

Speaking during a media briefing in Windhoek on Friday, Itula responded to the state of the nation address delivered by president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah in the parliament on Wednesday.

“The promise was no fees, not about eligibility or anything else, but simply no fees. The reality now is that it only covers tuition and registration for eligible undergraduate students. Last year, when it was announced, there was nothing about eligibility,” he said.

Itula further argued that changes to the income threshold for financial support for tertiary education have excluded many families. He noted that the threshold was reduced from N$500 000 to N$100 000 last year, effectively cutting out a large number of households. Although it has now been increased to N$300 000 for non-tuition costs, he pointed out that this support is offered as loans rather than grants.

He also raised concern about the continued suspension of postgraduate funding and alleged that infrastructure challenges exist at institutions such as the Namibia University of Science and Technology, where some students are reportedly forced to write examinations on the floor due to limited space.

“This is not what ‘fees have fallen’ looks like,” Itula said, adding that based on his engagements with parents of students, the original promise appears to be shrinking each year.

Responding earlier in the week to questions from official opposition leader Imms Nashinge, Nandi-Ndaitwah acknowledged the pressure on tertiary institutions due to rising enrolment. She said while the government cannot prevent students from accessing higher education, it is exploring alternative solutions to ensure continuity.

The government has allocated N$663 million towards the initiative.

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