SA students plan Unam transfer
KEITH VRIES
The University of Namibia says it has been inundated with requests from South African-based students who are planning to be transferred to Namibia due to the #FeeMustFall protest, which has brought many universities in that country to a standstill.
Lectures at some South African universities remain suspended as students, government and university bosses attempt to resolve the issue that has degenerated into violence.
More than 70 students have made enquiries about transferring to Unam.
Unam registrar Sifiso Nyati said such transfers by foreign students would depend on whether the university has space available.
“Namibian students studying in South Africa will obviously receive preferential treatment,” Nyati added.
The universities where most of the requests came from are the University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU).
Nyati said they were receiving requests from as far as New Zealand.
“This is all due to our stable reputation. We are one of the very few universities in the region where we have never shut down the institution and delayed students [academic programmes] due to strikes,” Nyati said.
“In fact, we have become the university of choice for many, that is why we host many international students from all over the world.”
He said the transfer requests were welcome, as it “shows that we [Unam] are a recognised and reputable institution in the SADC region”.
There has been renewed unrest over rising tuition fees in South Africa and the protests have crippled university operations.
The University of Namibia says it has been inundated with requests from South African-based students who are planning to be transferred to Namibia due to the #FeeMustFall protest, which has brought many universities in that country to a standstill.
Lectures at some South African universities remain suspended as students, government and university bosses attempt to resolve the issue that has degenerated into violence.
More than 70 students have made enquiries about transferring to Unam.
Unam registrar Sifiso Nyati said such transfers by foreign students would depend on whether the university has space available.
“Namibian students studying in South Africa will obviously receive preferential treatment,” Nyati added.
The universities where most of the requests came from are the University of Cape Town (UCT), University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU).
Nyati said they were receiving requests from as far as New Zealand.
“This is all due to our stable reputation. We are one of the very few universities in the region where we have never shut down the institution and delayed students [academic programmes] due to strikes,” Nyati said.
“In fact, we have become the university of choice for many, that is why we host many international students from all over the world.”
He said the transfer requests were welcome, as it “shows that we [Unam] are a recognised and reputable institution in the SADC region”.
There has been renewed unrest over rising tuition fees in South Africa and the protests have crippled university operations.
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