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The South African
27-04-2025
- Politics
- The South African
Namibian president announces free tertiary education from 2026
The president of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, announced that university students will no longer be required to pay school fees from 2026. She made the announcement during her maiden state of the nation address on Thursday, 24 April 2025. According to The Star , Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country's first female president, said students will no longer pay tuition or registration fees at all public universities and technical colleges. She said, 'I am pleased to announce that from the next academic year, commencing 2026, tertiary education will become 100% subsidised by the government.' However, she added that there would not be 'significant' extra funding, raising concerns about the scheme's feasibility. Nandi-Ndaitwah said that in the meantime, the only contribution required from families and students for now will be towards accommodation and other related costs. She said, 'If we are going to add, we are not going to add a significant amount of funds.' The country already offers free primary and high school education. However, families still cover costs of uniforms, books, and hostel fees. Student organisation, Affirmative Repositioning Student Command (ARSC), criticised Nandi-Ndaitwah's announcement, saying it was an attention- seeking ploy by the government. Speaking to BBC, the organisation said, 'There is no plan, it is just a confused announcement which raises [the] question of what [Nandi-Ndaitwah] means by tertiary education.' Economist Tannen Groenewald said that scrapping school fees with no back-up funding could result in limiting the number of students enrolled. He added that there's a possibility that this could apply to students from low-income households. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Fees have fallen' in Namibia as president announces free higher education
Namibia's new president has announced that university fees will be scrapped from 2026. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country's first female president, made the announcement during her maiden state of the nation address on Thursday evening. Addressing lawmakers, Nandi-Ndaitwah said that students would pay "no registration [or] tuition fees" at all public universities and technical colleges. However, she said there would not be "significant" extra funding, raising questions about the scheme's feasibility. Nandi-Ndaitwah said free university education would be phased in gradually and that the only "contribution as families and students for now will be towards accommodation and other related costs". "We have heard your cries: 'the Fees have Fallen'," she said, a reference to previous demands by university students in Namibia, as well as neighbouring South Africa. 'We are students thanks to South Africa's #FeesMustFall protests' South Africa #FeesMustFall: Stories behind the protests She said the money would come from the subsidies already given to some of the country's public universities and the money allocated to the student financial assistance fund. "If we are going to add, we are not going to add a significant [amount of funds]," she said. Primary and secondary education is already free in all the country's public schools. While some student organisations welcomed Nandi-Ndaitwah's announcement, others have criticised it as unfeasible and vague. One of these is the Affirmative Repositioning Student Command (ARSC), which said it was just an attention-seeking ploy by the Namibian government. "There is no plan, it is just a confused announcement which raises [the] question of what [Nandi-Ndaitwah] means by tertiary education," the organisation told the BBC. Elaborating, the ARSC questioned which students would benefit - post-graduates or only undergraduates - as well as where the funding would come from. This echoed sentiments expressed by Tannen Groenewald, an economist who spoke to local news site the Windhoek Observer. He suggested that scrapping fees without providing extra funding could lead to student numbers being capped. He also speculated that it may eventually only apply to students from low-income households. This is what happened in neighbouring South Africa. In 2017, the government gave in to calls for tertiary education fees to be scrapped which were made during what was known as the #FeesMustFall protests - but only a small number of students benefited. It has since been criticised as being too restrictive because as the so-called "missing middle", were excluded - those considered too wealthy to qualify for financial aid but who struggle to afford tuition fees. Sam Nujoma: The revolutionary leader who liberated Namibia From freedom fighter to Namibia's first female president Hopes beer made from killer bees will create buzz Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Namibian president announces free higher education, saying 'fees have fallen'
Namibia's new president has announced that university fees will be scrapped from Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, the country's first female president, made the announcement during her maiden state of the nation address on Thursday lawmakers, Nandi-Ndaitwah said that students would pay "no registration [or] tuition fees" at all public universities and technical she said there would not be "significant" extra funding, raising questions about the scheme's feasibility. Nandi-Ndaitwah said free university education would be phased in gradually and that the only "contribution as families and students for now will be towards accommodation and other related costs"."We have heard your cries: 'the Fees have Fallen'," she said, a reference to previous demands by university students in Namibia, as well as neighbouring South Africa.'We are students thanks to South Africa's #FeesMustFall protests'South Africa #FeesMustFall: Stories behind the protestsShe said the money would come from the subsidies already given to some of the country's public universities and the money allocated to the student financial assistance fund."If we are going to add, we are not going to add a significant [amount of funds]," she and secondary education is already free in all the country's public some student organisations welcomed Nandi-Ndaitwah's announcement, others have criticised it as unfeasible and of these is the Affirmative Repositioning Student Command (ARSC), which said it was just an attention-seeking ploy by the Namibian government."There is no plan, it is just a confused announcement which raises [the] question of what [Nandi-Ndaitwah] means by tertiary education," the organisation told the the ARSC questioned which students would benefit - post-graduates or only undergraduates - as well as where the funding would come from. This echoed sentiments expressed by Tannen Groenewald, an economist who spoke to local news site the Windhoek suggested that scrapping fees without providing extra funding could lead to student numbers being also speculated that it may eventually only apply to students from low-income is what happened in neighbouring South 2017, the government gave in to calls for tertiary education fees to be scrapped which were made during what was known as the #FeesMustFall protests - but only a small number of students has since been criticised as being too restrictive because as the so-called "missing middle", were excluded - those considered too wealthy to qualify for financial aid but who struggle to afford tuition fees. More BBC stories on Namibia: Sam Nujoma: The revolutionary leader who liberated NamibiaFrom freedom fighter to Namibia's first female presidentHopes beer made from killer bees will create buzz Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
