NUST students not ‘sacrificial lambs’ – IPC

The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has threatened legal action over the possible deregistration of 20 medical laboratory sciences students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).“It is an administrative injustice to allow students to enroll, pay tuition, bear daily transport and living costs, bear higher rental costs and dedicate two whole years of their lives to their studies, only for the ministry and NUST management to suddenly declare that they ‘do not meet requirements’ or NUST exceeded statutory cohort limits,” IPC national youth leader and MP Michael Mwashindange said in a statement on Tuesday.NUST has acknowledged that it admitted students who did not meet the programme’s entry requirements, while dozens of others face disrupted studies because of limited practical training capacity.Mwashindange called for an independent investigation into NUST’s admissions and an immediate halt to deregistrations.He accused the university and education ministry of shifting responsibility onto students who had already paid tuition, incurred accommodation and transport costs, and spent two years studying.“This is an institutional responsibility, not student faults. Students do not set admission criteria, nor do they control enrollment caps,” Mwashindange said.He also called for alternative study pathways, credit transfers and expanded practical placements, including regional partnerships, so students would not lose completed studies or incur additional costs.Progress hurdlesNUST said in a statement dated 30 September that its 2025 intake of 150 students was the largest since the programme began in 2008, straining practical placements, laboratory facilities and professional supervision.The programme requires practical training that meets Health Professions Council of Namibia requirements.NUST said 50 students had been selected for placements and issued registration certificates by the council. Another 55 could not proceed to placements because of capacity constraints, prompting the university to explore transfers to institutions offering comparable qualifications within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).A further 20 students did not meet admission requirements and will be considered for other NUST programmes in January 2027, provided they qualify.Another 48 students with outstanding first- or second-year modules must pass them before progressing.NUST admitted no new cohort in 2026 and has kept applications closed for 2027 while addressing the regulatory and capacity problems.Legal threatIPC said it had received reports that deregistration processes had begun, despite education minister Sanet Steenkamp’s undertaking to investigate.Citing the constitutional requirement for fair and reasonable administrative conduct, Mwashindange warned that IPC would approach a competent court if urgent action was not taken to protect the students’ continued studies.NUST is yet to answer questions submitted last Wednesday about refunds, student funding and the costs of proposed transfers. It has also not responded to follow-up questions about whether completed modules will be recognised and how students’ funding will be protected.

NUST students not ‘sacrificial lambs’ – IPC

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-08

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NUST students not ‘sacrificial lambs’ – IPC

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-08

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