UNAM SRC

University of Namibia Student Representative Council (also known as the UNAM SRC) was founded on 20 February 1992, and is recognised as the legal representative body for the students of the University of Namibia by the University of Namibia Act 18 of 1992. It is responsible for representing the interests of the students to the management of the University and to local and national government. It consists of representatives from all twelve campuses across Namibia.[1][2][3]

University of Namibia Student Representative Council
A picture of the University of Namibia Main Campus in 2016
Formation20 February 1992 (1992-02-20)
Founded atWindhoek, Namibia
TypeStudent Politics
HeadquartersWindhoek, Main Campus
Membership
28 000
Official language
English
Current SRC President
Vacant
Budget
N$5.38 Million
Staff
150
Websitehttp://www.unam.edu.na/ods/src-

History

The UNAM SRC was founded on 20 February 1992 and mandated through a Namibian statute, namely: the University of Namibia Act 18 of 1992. Its primary focus is to represent the University of Namibia student body, and it falls under the Office of the Dean of Students. It is led by the President who is elected on a yearly basis at the First Congress session and had a seat on the University Council alongside the Vice President of Congress. [4]

Controversies

Job Amupanda, Wise Immanuel, Francine Muyumba and Joseph Kalimbwe are quoted to have been controversial and extremely vocal SRC Presidents in the University of Namibia student council history despite going on to political leadership.[5] 

The UNAM SRC has been involved in controversies, some of which have been political, since its formation with most of its leaders going to take up leadership positions within the SWAPO Youth League and the political set up. However, since its formation, there has been controversy in terms of how the students should be represented at the University, with some student leaders choosing diplomacy and others being radical in their styles. Critics of the later, within the university, have accused them of occurring fame and popularity within student circles by influencing their constituency towards their beliefs. In June 2007, then SRC President Wise Immanuel and other students were expelled from the hostels for protesting the establishment of breakfast fees which the university had made compulsory to all hostel students. In 2008, Job Amupanda who served as SRC President was involved in a verbal warpath with some university members of staff claiming students are always regarded as "insignificant ants who should have their voices silenced".[6]

In 2011, SRC President Francine Muyumba and other members of the Student Representative Council raised concerns with regards to the establishment of the Emona private hostel at the cost of N$300 Million, claiming there was need to address more pertinent issues than the interests of private investors. She was later made to apologise for tarnishing the name of the university. In January 2016, the SRC, inspired by the FeesMustFall protests in South Africa formed a University lock down for three days and blocked the two main university entrances as they demanded a decrease in fees. This followed instructions from the Namibia National Students Organization who had a week before locked the Namibia University of Science and Technology demanding free university registration. The lockdown standoff organized by NANSO and some members of the SRC only came to an end after the lawyers of the University of Namibia made an urgent court application in the Windhoek High Court.[7]

On 3 February 2016, the court summoned then NANSO President Wilhlem Wilhlem, Vice President Stanley Kavetu and Secretary General Dimbulukeni Nauyoma to urgently stop the protests. [8][9] The protest however led to the rise of popularism in Students Politics in Namibia. In October of 2016, the SRC led by Joseph Kalimbwe barricaded the university's main administration building and blocked the entrances into the building for four hours as students sang protest songs following the decision by university Vice Chancellor Lazarus Hangula and the university management to block 9000 NSFAF funded and private students who still owed the university not to be allowed to seat for their end of year examinations. A #ExamsForAll campaign was initiated as students tore down exam timetables & demanded to see Vice Chancellor Hangula. The decision to ban students from exams was reversed 2 days later following the interventions of the Namibian Police Force and the education minister in stopping further protests. [10] In 2017, SRC President Joseph Kalimbwe and three members of the student union were banned and removed from the university's main campus following an attempt to break into an unused food cafeteria to use it as a study area claiming there was not enough study areas during examination periods. They were later suspended and expelled following the events and asked not to visit the University's main campus until 2018. Kalimbwe was then arrested at the university main campus with the university stating that he had failed to register for his postgraduate studies. That same year, in May 2017, UNAM Oshakati Campus Vice President Junias Shilunga and three other members of the SRC stood and held placards with "We need hostels at Oshakati Campus" as soon as the University's deputy Vice Chancellor, Ellen Namhila, began to address the university's official opening of the northern campusses. Later in April 2017, Shilunga and his SRC colleagues set up an informal shack on the premises of the UNAM Oshakati campus, naming it "Hangula Shack" in reference to then Vice Chancellor Lazarus Hangula as they demanded that the university prioritizes the provision of a hostel at the campus. He was later called for a disciplinary hearing for his actions.[11][12][13][14]

In June 2018, the SRC distanced itself from the new Nanso leadership claiming they were not politically hungry for positions to forget student plights.[15][16]

Student activities

The UNAM SRC provides leadership, leisure and academic activities to its students through the Housing Committee which caters for hostel students and is headed by the Representative for Accommodation, the Faculty Representatives who are headed by the Representative for Academic Affairs, and Societies which are headed by the Representative for Culture.

The University of Namibia Accounting Society is the current Best Society on Main Campus, with the University of Namibia Law Students Council as the second best. The latter was awarded the Best Society on Main Campus in 2018.

These activities are often broadcast on UNAM Radio from in and around the Main Campus. They include;[17][18]

Society/ClubType
UNAM Law Students Council (ULSC) Academic
UNAM Accounting Society (UNAS)Academic
UNAM Debate SocietyAcademic
UNAM History SocietyAcademic
UNAM Physics SocietyAcademic
UNAM Economics Society (ECON)Academic
UNAM Sociology SocietyAcademic
Landless People's Movement (Namibia) Student Command ElementPolitical
UNAM SPYLPolitical
Zimbabwe SocietyInternational
Zambia SocietyInternational
UNAM ChoirMusic
UNAM Dance ClubMusic
UNAM Christian MovementReligion
ElcinReligion

Others
  • Otjiuana Cultural Group
  • UNAM SDA
  • UNAM Basketball Club
  • UNAM Football Club - Competes in the Namibian Premier League

Composition

The UNAM SRC President is only elected from the University of Namibia Main Campus.

The UNAM SRC consists of the following positions within it (as per campus):

Executive positions
  • President (only Main Campus)
  • Vice President 
  • Secretary General 
  • Secretary for Finance

Non-Executive positions
  • Secretary for Internal  Affairs
  • Secretary for External Affairs
  • Secretary for Information and Publicity 
  • Secretary for Community Development and Gender Affairs
  • Secretary for Recreation
  • Representative for Culture
  • Representative for Academic Affairs
  • Representative for Accommodation
  • Representative for Sports
  • Speaker of Student Parliament
  • Executive Secretary to Student Parliament 

Elections

Each year in September or October, the UNAM SRC elections are held at all of the University's twelve campuses to elect a new leadership. Each term commences on 1 January and concludes 31 December.

In February, the First Congress session, which consists of the following portfolios, from each of the twelve campus: Vice President, Secretary General, Secretary for Finance, Representative for Academic Affairs and Speaker of Student Parliament, elects the UNAM SRC President and Congress executives. Any of the above portfolios from the University of Namibia Main Campus may run for UNAM SRC President, who if elected is provided with an official residency and represents students on the University Council. The other portfolios can be taken up by any other campuses'candidates who have been elected in that respective portfolio, on campus-level.[19][20]

Former leaders

The former leaders who took up the Office of the UNAM SRC President;

PresidentYear in Office
Moses Moses2005
Kadiva Nghipondoka2006
Wise Immanuel2007
Tango Kandjaba2008
Job Amupanda2009
William Amutenya2010
Francine Muyumba2011
Edison Nengola2012
Nahas Ekandjo Angula2013
Desrie Beukes2014
Vincent Shimwitwikeni2015
Victoria Shipale2016
Joseph Kalimbwe2017
Tuhafeni Kalola2018
Kudzai Sibanda2019
Ginola Nauseb2020

Other notable leaders
NameYear in Office and position
Hilma Moses2016 - Vice President
Dean-Marlo Titus2019 - Secretary General
Emma Theofelus2018 - Secretary General
Jason Nangolo2015 - Recreation
Inna Hengari2018 - Vice President

See also

Official website

References
  1. "Unam 'interferes' in student politics". The Namibian. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  2. Maseka, Robert. "UNAM SRC distances itself from Nanso statements". Namibiadailynews.info. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  3. "New Unam system causes financial chaos". The Namibian. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  5. "The role of Nanso in modern-day student activism - Youth". Namibiansun.com. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  6. "Unam SRC on 'warpath'". The Namibian. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  7. https://neweralive.com.na/posts/calm-returns-unam-high-court-ruling |Calm returns to Unam after High Court ruling - New Era Live
  8. https://neweralive.com.na/posts/calm-returns-unam-high-court-ruling |Calm returns to Unam after High Court ruling - New Era Live
  9. https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=archive-read&id=146668 | Nanso takes demo to Unam - The Namibian
  10. https://www.namibiansun.com/news/student-protest-disrupts-unam-exams | Student protest disrupts Unam exams - Education - Namibian Sun
  11. https://neweralive.na/amp/unam-students-erect-shack-on-campus
  12. https://www.namibian.com.na/164572/archive-read/Unam-demolishes-students-shack-at-Oshakati | Unam demolishes students' shack at Oshakati - The Namibian
  13. "Joseph Kalimbwe speaks out". Thepatriot.com.na. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  14. "Unam expels SRC president - Education". Namibiansun.com. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  16. "Unam SRC lashes out at university for high registration fees". Lelamobile.com. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  17. https://www.lelamobile.com/content/63112/UNAM-students-donate-to-Kunene-school/ Lela Mobile Online - UNAM students donate to Kunene school
  18. https://www.namibiansun.com/news/unam-students-put-best-foot-forward2019-05-06 | Unam students put best foot forward - Local News - Namibian Sun
  19. http://www.africanelections.org/print_article.php?news=4387&link=/namibia/news/page.php?news=4387 | Amupanda condemns political activities on campus | African Elections Project'
  20. https://allafrica.com/stories/201110210031.html | Namibia: University of Namibia 'Interferes' in Student Politics - allAfrica.com
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