UB students emerge triumphant

The University of Botswana students emerged victorious in high court when the Department of Tertiary Education Financing (DTEF), withdrew their suspended sponsorships.

This was consequent to a settlement agreement struck between the defence counsel and the government department to withdraw the suspended sponsorship and settle the costs of application. Lawyers from the two parties presented the settlement in a brief court session, which was met with jubilation from the multitude of students who thronged the courtroom. As a result of the settlement the students defence lawyer Duma Boko will pocket over P100 000 for the application. Boko represented the 16 UB students who had their sponsorship suspended by the DTEF.

The students were issued with sponsorship suspension letters from the DTEF dated 29th August to freeze their government sponsorship for a period of 12 months. In a post interview Boko said that the government would pay him several tens of thousands, which will probably be over P100 000. He said the only regrettable thing about the case was the expenditure that could have been avoided by peaceful means, which seem to be lacking in those with decision-making powers, but hoped the ruling would be a lesson. Excited UB Student Representative Council (SRC) president Kago Mokotedi said the ruling means that they no longer have to “kneel before the Minister of Education nor the Permanent Secretary,” for their sponsorship appeal.