Unam students in uproar over breakfast

THE University of Namibia (Unam) will continue serving compulsory breakfast to its hostel students, despite recent protests and a petition signed by more than half the students.

Students who are against the compulsory breakfast say they don’t want to pay the N$12 fee per meal regardless of whether they eat breakfast or not. They are proposing that breakfast either be made optional, or be cancelled “until proper consultation with students.”On Monday, Unam Vice Chancellor Lazarus Hangula made it clear to hostel students that they remain bound to the decision taken by the university council in November last year, and that students were well aware of the breakfast when they registered at the start of the year.”I wish to inform all hostel students that the hostel breakfast that was instituted …will continue to be served.The university of Namibia is not the only university offering this service to hostel students,” the vice-chancellor stated in a circular.He said students who went away from campus on Unam trips would receive refunds for those days that they were unable to eat their meals.In the circular, Hangula lashed out at a number of students who he said were not following the proper channels in raising their concerns.Students were blocking the entrance to the dining hall, he said, also accusing this group of intimidating and preventing others from taking their meals.Yesterday, The Namibian was able to get a copy of a response to Hangula’s circular, in which one of the students named by the rector, former SRC member Fillemon Immanuel, continued to lobby for the compulsory breakfast to be cancelled.”In all fairness, students felt that all the necessary channels were consulted, but the matter was not being addressed as a matter of urgency,” the reply read.”As a result of that they opted for boycotting collectively as concerned students,” Immanuel stated, adding that the issue was discussed extensively in Student Parliament sessions between February and March.Immanuel stated that 680 out of 1086 hostel students signed a petition against the compulsory breakfast.Unam’s Director for Communication and Marketing, Edwin Tjiramba, told The Namibian yesterday that the university was standing by its decision despite the protests.They are proposing that breakfast either be made optional, or be cancelled “until proper consultation with students.” On Monday, Unam Vice Chancellor Lazarus Hangula made it clear to hostel students that they remain bound to the decision taken by the university council in November last year, and that students were well aware of the breakfast when they registered at the start of the year.”I wish to inform all hostel students that the hostel breakfast that was instituted …will continue to be served.The university of Namibia is not the only university offering this service to hostel students,” the vice-chancellor stated in a circular.He said students who went away from campus on Unam trips would receive refunds for those days that they were unable to eat their meals.In the circular, Hangula lashed out at a number of students who he said were not following the proper channels in raising their concerns.Students were blocking the entrance to the dining hall, he said, also accusing this group of intimidating and preventing others from taking their meals.Yesterday, The Namibian was able to get a copy of a response to Hangula’s circular, in which one of the students named by the rector, former SRC member Fillemon Immanuel, continued to lobby for the compulsory breakfast to be cancelled.”In all fairness, students felt that all the necessary channels were consulted, but the matter was not being addressed as a matter of urgency,” the reply read.”As a result of that they opted for boycotting collectively as concerned students,” Immanuel stated, adding that the issue was discussed extensively in Student Parliament sessions between February and March.Immanuel stated that 680 out of 1086 hostel students signed a petition against the compulsory breakfast.Unam’s Director for Communication and Marketing, Edwin Tjiramba, told The Namibian yesterday that the university was standing by its decision despite the protests.