Limpho Sello
LIMKOKWING University of Creative Technology (LUCT) has suspended classes indefinitely after the students’ strike to protest delays in disbursing National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS) allowances.
Students boycotted classes on Monday and took to the streets to demand allowances, saying they could not learn while hungry and under pressure from landlords who were insisting on rent payments.
They burned grass, wood and tyres near the university campus and erected barricades on the road to block traffic.
This prompted the university’s Registrar, Moroka Hoohlo, to announce the indefinite suspension of classes in response to the students’ actions that were “getting out of control”.
One of students told the Lesotho Times on condition of anonymity that he could not understand why NMDS waited to be jolted into action by student strikes every year to release their allowances.
“Why should strikes trend every year before we get our allowances and what is happening within NMDS that is always causing delays in the disbursement of our allowances,” the student asked.
“We can’t learn on empty stomachs and we can’t learn when we have the pressure of landlords demanding their rent. They want their rent now and we do not have it. We are also hungry so we can’t concentrate in class,” he said.
He said they had lost faith in the Students Representative Council (SRC) to handle the issue and were convinced the strike was the way to go.
“We therefore decided to go on strike because we have realised that it’s the only thing that always helps us to get the money,” he said.
For his part, the LUCT SRC President, Motlatsi Khauta, said they were committed to resolving all issues affecting students and called on the students to trust them.
