MASERU — The National University of Lesotho (NUL) will re-open on December 28 after a two-month break.
In a statement NUL’s acting director of communications and marketing, Phomolo Lebotsa, said lectures are expected to resume on January 3.
The university was shut down on October 12 after lecturers and researchers downed tools demanding a 15 percent pay increase and an improvement in their working conditions.
Members of the Lesotho University Teachers and Researchers Union (Lutaru) also wanted management to close the salary gap between professors and other lecturers.
The decision to re-open the university comes a week after Education Minister ‘Mamphono Khaketla said the government had no money to meet Lutaru’s wage demands as it was already grappling with an economic recession.
Lebotsa said the decision to re-open the university followed the resumption of talks between the university management and Lutaru on Tuesday.
“All members of staff are expected to report for work on the day.
“Students are expected to arrive from the 2nd January 2012 while classes will resume on the following day,” Lebotsa said.
The statement also said the university was putting in place a recovery plan to make up for lost teaching time.
“Additional information will be provided when it becomes available. The university management regrets the disruption to teaching and learning as a result of the strike,” Lebotsa said.
“The National University of Lesotho is committed to providing quality education.
In this spirit, management will spare no effort in the endeavour to assure that the environment is conducive for teaching and learning to restart.”
Efforts to contact Lutaru president Ramohapi Shale failed yesterday as his phone was off.
