UB SRC must call for peace
The feud at the University of Botswana (UB) this week took an odd twist after the Student Representative Council (SRC) took side with the institution’s Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor David Norris against the trade unions.
This turn of events followed the trade unions’ petition of the Minister of Tertiary Education, Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe asking that Norris be fired as they feel he has dismally failed to fulfill his mandate as the VC. Now, the student body, which has a history of fighting UB Vice chancellors, has decided to side with Norris in the fight, an entirely unheard of phenomenon. In a letter written by the UB SRC president, Carter Joseph, the student leader accused the unions of “politicising and trivialising serious matters which the parties could have addressed with sobriety and maturity”. While the unions have stated their cries in the petition, the SRC has dismissed the complaints as “nothing but political posturing”.
As the SRC takes Norris’ corner, the student body ignores the fact that both parties are employees of UB and if their feud is prolonged, it might affect their future at the institution. The unions revealed that their hope has been replaced by disillusionment, demoralisation and stress and therefore the UB SRC should be equally worried by the matter. The students should be concerned because if the people who are tasked with the quality of their education complain about demotivation, then their future is doomed as the turn of events might negatively affect their studies, the main reason why they are at the institution. The staff is making it clear that people should not expect excellence from their side as long as Norris is at the helm of the university. Students have roughly 4-5 years at one of the country’s leading institutions of higher learning, so they cannot afford to spend that time getting trampled upon in an elephant’s fight. Instead of taking sides they should be peacekeepers. They should see to it that the raging war ends before the grass they sleep on is trampled on to the detriment of their studies. The student body knows very well about welfare, so instead of singing Norris praises, they should be mediators and if possible restore peace and amity. The SRC has revealed that Norris values learners and has demonstrated his willingness to transform UB for the benefit of the student community. Now, the question is whether Norris affords the same to the staff. Quite clearly, the unions want real change in their conditions of work. On the other hand, student leaders are happy that they have not been ‘harassed, suspended and expelled’. Now the SRC is only looking out for itself instead of restoring peace between the feuding parties.
The staff lacks motivation as it has outlined, so if something is not done to calm the storm then the quality of education might deteriorate. This will not only affect Norris and the staff but the institution as a whole, even prospective students.