NUL exams suspended as chaos engulfs campus

THABISO NTAOTE
MASERU – National University of Lesotho (NUL) students went on strike in the early hours of Tuesday demanding their scholarships and June allowances on the premises of NUL.
Armed forces, comprising the police and the army, were present to disperse the students who started singing and burning wood and tyres along public road.
Students are yet to complete their end of year academic examinations by end of June and examinations have been suspended.
This comes after the National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS) promised about 256 students scholarships but none of them is yet to receive the funds.
Problems of disbursement of June allowances come as a shock to students because their contract with NMDS states that students must receive their full monthly stipends within a period of 10 months of the academic year. NUL academic year started on September and is supposed to end towards end of June 2023.
Last winter, similar events happened resulting in loss of life from one NUL student who succumbed to gunshot wounds from armed police.
This time, there is reportedly no loss of life but students engaging in this year’s strike are complaining over the same concerns that arise year in year out at the university. Before the end of this week, it will be clear whether or not the Government will respond quickly to the matter.
NUL issued a statement on Tuesday, indicating that the Senate has decided that students should vacate the Roma Campus by tomorrow. Students will return on Sunday, June 4 to resume examinations on Monday, June 5.