UB, DTEF pass the buck in student allowance furore
Baboki Kayawe | Thursday September 1, 2016 16:20
On Tuesday, for the second time in a month, students demonstrated in Gaborone with unconfirmed reports of damage to property.
Yesterday DTEF deputy director, Eugene Moyo told Mmegi that as the organ tasked with tertiary education sponsorship, they follow due procedure to credit stipends. He explained that DTEF only credits living allowances after receiving all information regarding students’ performances and registration statuses.
“Normally after receiving results we analyse them and once learners have been registered we pay allowances within a very reasonable time of between three and four days,” Moyo explained.
“We do not just pay students,” he added.
He said UB was better placed to respond to enquiries about demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the UB’s director of public affairs, Mhitshane Reetsang said the institution was gravely worried by the incidents, but declined to confirm that the UB had a role in the late payments.
“I would not deny or confirm that the university sent records to DTEF late,” she said.
“Besides, student allowances are not our mandate as the University. Our task is to teach students who have different sponsors.”
The bulk of UB students are government-sponsored. She added that availability of such information was determined by when students were admitted, and in instances where some learners had to change programmes of study, delays were bound to occur.
“Due to government’s move to prioritise courses, some students were admitted late because they were changing programmes, which means their details were forwarded late to the sponsor. But I doubt they are the ones who demonstrated if DTEF is referring to this delay. “Those students cannot expect DTEF to pay stipends in a week’s time after their registration. “These are new students who don’t even know their way around the University, I doubt they could be engaging in demonstrations already,” she said.
Reetsang further advised students to forward concerns in a proper approach instead of causing unrests saying no institution could appreciate such.
“I really wish students could look at this differently. Yes it affects them when stipends are paid late, but demonstrating is not the best solution,” added Reetsang.
Yesterday there were reports that some learners were rushed to the campus clinic after their rioting peers sprayed them with fire extinguishers, with some international students allegedly beaten up.
UB students demonstrated on Tuesday over outstanding allowances after some were still unpaid, two weeks after a previous demonstration. Mmegi is informed that at least 294 students were still outstanding, sparking the latest demonstration.
UB Student Representative Council (SRC) president, Bakotelo Mmipi said the remaining students were paid out on Tuesday. Moreover, the September dues as well as stationary allowance were paid yesterday morning.
“There is talk about allowances being a privilege that parents and government always say, whenever students stage demonstrations against late payment, but it has to be understood that we entered into a contractual agreement with the sponsor,” he said.
“So DTEF has an obligation that it ought to fulfil,” Mmipi said. He denied reports of assaults or damages involving students.
Meanwhile, DTEF has sponsored 10,000 new students for the 2016-2017 academic cycle, with 2,500 being admitted for re-sponsorship and 600 sponsored to progress their qualifications.