11 Sep 2024

The Vice Chancellor of Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Professor Otlogetswe Totolo has promised to respond to  students complaints. 

He said although he was not aware of some of their complaints, he would do his utmost to address their concerns. Professor Totolo said this when addressing the students on Tuesday. 

The students had gone on strike to express their concerns, alleging poor living conditions and academic disruptions. 

Some of the students concerns are,  increased student intake, inadequate accommodation, lack of Wi-Fi, poor sanitation and insufficient academic facilities. 

Prof. Totolo said he met with Student Representative Council (SRC) to discuss the issues issues of concern

He said he was able to visit the halls of residence at the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) houses and found students overcrowded. 

Therefore, he said he agreed with the SRC that the accomodation was not conducive. He said a decision had been taken  to move the students from the overcrowded areas to other BHC houses. 

Pro. Totolo also assured students that in addressing poor Internet connectivity, the university would find modems to back up network.

He urged students to elevate their issues to relevant offices  for assistance. 

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) president, Mr Lekopane Kenalemang, voiced the mounting frustrations among students at the BIUST regarding several unresolved issues. 

Mr Kenalemang reported that students had communicated numerous concerns to university management, but responses had been either inadequate or nonexistent. “The students are now growing impatient for answers,” he said, emphasising the need for a more proactive engagement from the administration.

A primary concern raised by the SRC is the significant over-enrollment at the university. This academic year, BIUST admitted 847 students, exceeding the planned 500. As a result, 547 of these students were currently residing off-campus, exacerbating the pressure on existing resources and facilities. “We believe the university should have a concrete plan in place to accommodate such large numbers,” Kenalemang remarked.

Additionally, the lack of adequate computer resources for students has been highlighted. Students are permitted only 20 minutes per lab session to allow others access, yet they find themselves needing to complete lab work in two to three hours during examinations. According to Kenalemang, this has severely compromised the quality of education.

Further complicating the situation is a Mathematics 101 course, where 1 000 students were currently being taught by just one lecturer. 

“We have raised this issue with the teaching and learning department, but there has been no response,” he stated. He underscored the importance of smaller class sizes, advocating for more focused attention from lecturers to enhance student learning.

The SRC has also raised concerns regarding the dilapidated state of student residences and the delays in disbursing students’ allowances since classes resumed in August. “Our work as the SRC is becoming increasingly difficult,” Mr Kenalemang lamented, revealing that student dissatisfaction is at a boiling point, with many demanding immediate answers to their grievances.

In light of these issues, Mr Kenalemang indicated that students would return to their studies only after their concerns are adequately addressed. 

The situation escalated when Divisional Commander North Central, Peter Gochela, reported that BIUST students threatened to strike due to unaddressed complaints.  Mr Gochela’s team found the doors of the administration block locked and roads blocked by protesting students. Attempts to open the administration block for staff to leave were met with further protests, leading police to disperse the crowd using tear gas and water. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. BOPA