Unam SRC on ‘warpath’

WAR was declared on all and sundry at the University of Namibia yesterday when the institution’s Student Representative Council (SRC) lashed out and set deadlines for developments they want to see happen before another year passes.

New student accommodation, a 24-hour clinic and a functioning career centre by November 1 were demanded between attacks on allegedly overly physical security guards, abusive lecturers and companies exploiting students through internships and holiday jobs.Leading the verbal assault was Unam SRC president Job Amupanda, who said students were regarded as insignificant ‘ants’, except when raising their voices over concerns, in which case they were branded ‘troublemakers and unruly kids’.One of the more serious allegations made by the students was against two members of the private security company Inter-Africa Security Services, who allegedly assaulted a drunken student on campus over the weekend.Amupanda also verbally attacked various companies that employed students as interns or holiday workers, only to have them make coffee and answer telephones. ‘We view this as the highest form of exploitation of students and an insult not only to us as students, but also against the entire university,’ he said.’We know of cases where our university students are reporting to peers they were attending high school with and who did not do equally well as our students did in grade 12,’ he said.He would not name the organisations he spoke of, saying he would not ‘betray’ students who had complained about these issues.Another complaint was an apparent lack of innovation in the university’s Marketing Department.’The only thing that seems to be marketing to them is advertising vacancies, and organising and advertising calendar events,’ Amupanda said.The SRC suggested that the department make use of final-year marketing students to assist in ‘restoring’ the university’s image.’Do you see even a pen, a pull-over (jersey) or even a sticker with the university’s name on it? Not here,’ Amupanda said.The SRC also suggested that students fill positions at the Unam clinic, which he said would allow for 24-hour medical assistance on campus, in the finance department and the campus cafeteria. The students gave the university a deadline of July 27, when students return from recess, to meet their demands.A student strike, while reluctantly proposed, was mentioned as a possible consequence if their demands were not met.