MASERU — The Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) says it is still to decide what do with the ringleaders of last week’s strike.
The university was plunged into a crisis last week after students engaged in violent protests following delays in processing their allowances.
Limkokwing University corporate secretary, Tefo Macheli, told the Lesotho Times that classes had resumed on Tuesday after a two-day suspension.
Macheli however said management was still to decide what to do with the ring-leaders of the strike action.
“Management has not yet decided what it is going to do with 10 ring-leaders,” Macheli said.
The students took to the streets last Wednesday and Thursday accusing the National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS), a government agency that sponsors students, of delaying the disbursement of their allowances.
A senior university official who is authorised to release the funds deposited by the NMDS into the LUCT account was reported to have been away in Malaysia leaving no one to transfer the cash into the students’ account.
The protest turned violent as students destroyed the university’s property and assaulted one of the lecturers.
They also broke the university gate while chanting protest songs as management was locked in negotiations with the Students’ Representative Council to resolve the students’ grievances.
Matters only came under control after the university’s management summoned the police to help stabilise the situation.
Management then decided to suspend lectures to allow temperatures to cool down.
Macheli said most of the students’ grievances had been resolved with at least 80 percent of the students having received their allowances by Tuesday.
“Classes resumed as normal today (Tuesday) and most students have reported for classes,” Macheli said.
“Most of the students who appeared on the list that was submitted to the school’s authority by the National Manpower Development Secretariat have been given their money and some of them received it today (Tuesday),” he said.
Protests by university students over delays to disburse their allowances are common in Lesotho.
Last week students at Lerotholi Polytechnic also went on strike two days before the university held its graduation ceremony.
The students destroyed vehicles belonging to a construction company working at a site within the college’s yard.
The students were also complaining about delays by the NMDS to disburse their allowances.
