IUM student told friends of plan to commit suicide
TUYEIMO HAIDULA
OSHAKATI
A 21-year-old International University of Management (IUM) Ongwediva campus student who shot himself on Monday left his Christian group in shock, having posted a series of messages on his WhatsApp status about his plan to commit suicide.
Frans Joseph had been caught cheating in an examination and was facing disciplinary action.
Joseph, who was a member of the IUM Students Christian Movement (SCM) choir, has been described as a happy person full of jokes.
Oshana police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo confirmed the incident.
Aiyambo said Joseph apparently stole a pistol from his father’s bedroom around 18:30 on Monday.
“At around 23:00 he was discovered dead at Ekuku dumping site with a bullet wound in the head,” he said.
Aiyambo said although the gun was not found at the crime scene, the preliminary post-mortem results showed that Joseph had committed suicide.
“This shocked us as well. We had a special evening at our campus and he was there. Monday he went to write [an examination],” said a member of the SCM choir who did not want to be named.
“People who were there the previous day made jokes and he said, see you tomorrow. Little did we know that would be the last time,” one of the SCM members told Namibian Sun.
The SCM member said they got a group update that Joseph was missing and when they tried to contact him, he did not answer.
“Around 03:00 on Tuesday we got a message that he had been found dead at the dumping site,” she said.
Cheating
Meanwhile, IUM spokesperson Gerry Munyama has denied rumours on social media that the university had suspended Joseph for three years, saying they punish students for one year only.
Munyama said when a student is caught cheating, the examination paper is confiscated and the student is asked to leave the venue.
Munyama said invigilators calls the examination officer and they fill in an incident report and the student is told to leave the exam hall and not told anything.
“The report is forwarded to student disciplinary committee and the student will get a date and hearing informed in writing. In that letter, there will be a written notification not less than three days. The committee call the student in and puts to them the alleged offence and the student is given time to respond. In this case the student admitted guilt and said he did not study when he filled in the incident form,” he said.
Munyama said the policy has clear guidelines and objectives.
“The student is suspended for one year from that particular subject. Not the entire course. It’s a punishment so that it’s not done again and to give a warning to others the seriousness of the matter.”
– [email protected]
OSHAKATI
A 21-year-old International University of Management (IUM) Ongwediva campus student who shot himself on Monday left his Christian group in shock, having posted a series of messages on his WhatsApp status about his plan to commit suicide.
Frans Joseph had been caught cheating in an examination and was facing disciplinary action.
Joseph, who was a member of the IUM Students Christian Movement (SCM) choir, has been described as a happy person full of jokes.
Oshana police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo confirmed the incident.
Aiyambo said Joseph apparently stole a pistol from his father’s bedroom around 18:30 on Monday.
“At around 23:00 he was discovered dead at Ekuku dumping site with a bullet wound in the head,” he said.
Aiyambo said although the gun was not found at the crime scene, the preliminary post-mortem results showed that Joseph had committed suicide.
“This shocked us as well. We had a special evening at our campus and he was there. Monday he went to write [an examination],” said a member of the SCM choir who did not want to be named.
“People who were there the previous day made jokes and he said, see you tomorrow. Little did we know that would be the last time,” one of the SCM members told Namibian Sun.
The SCM member said they got a group update that Joseph was missing and when they tried to contact him, he did not answer.
“Around 03:00 on Tuesday we got a message that he had been found dead at the dumping site,” she said.
Cheating
Meanwhile, IUM spokesperson Gerry Munyama has denied rumours on social media that the university had suspended Joseph for three years, saying they punish students for one year only.
Munyama said when a student is caught cheating, the examination paper is confiscated and the student is asked to leave the venue.
Munyama said invigilators calls the examination officer and they fill in an incident report and the student is told to leave the exam hall and not told anything.
“The report is forwarded to student disciplinary committee and the student will get a date and hearing informed in writing. In that letter, there will be a written notification not less than three days. The committee call the student in and puts to them the alleged offence and the student is given time to respond. In this case the student admitted guilt and said he did not study when he filled in the incident form,” he said.
Munyama said the policy has clear guidelines and objectives.
“The student is suspended for one year from that particular subject. Not the entire course. It’s a punishment so that it’s not done again and to give a warning to others the seriousness of the matter.”
– [email protected]
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