We the students of Botswana International University Of Science And Technology order the BIUST Council chairman, Mr Balisi Bonyongo, in his capacity to call an emergency meeting of council to meet, deliberate and make a ruling on the following matter:
“Termination of employment of the following Executive management team – Prof. Otlogetswe Totolo-VICE CHANCELLOR, Dist. Prof. Dennis Siginier-DVC Academic Affairs, Mr. Dawid Katzke-DVC Finance And Administration and the following Senior non-academic staff – Mr. Donah Lekwati-Director Registry Services, Dr Kitso Sedisa-Dean Student Affairs And Campus Life, Mr. Maiswe-Security Coordinator”
This request comes primarily after the incident that occurred on BIUST campus the afternoon of Monday the 28th of September where the students were forcefully dispersed by the Botswana Police Service and the Special Support Group from a peaceful demonstration to an extend that students were invaded in their residence by shotting tear gas in the passages of the hostels and into the students rooms via open windows. Students were severely injured by rubber bullets that were launched at them in this invasion as the school management failed to protect the students from such brutal acts. This request is further fuelled by all the other times that the afore-mentioned university personnel failed to serve and protect the student of BIUST and its sole mandate.
We the Students of BIUST strongly believe that Prof. Otlogetswe Totolo is failing to do his duty as the university VICE CHANCHELLOR and as such should be relieved of his position together with the above-mentioned personnel. He has proven to be incapable of calling to order his sub-ordinate officers, mentioned above, to ensure the smooth running of the university and that the university mandate is achieved.
There are numerous student life and academia issues that have been re-surfacing every other semester in the administration of Prof. Totolo that include among others a failing student information system that leads to a late submission of a student register to the Department Of Tertiary Education And Financing. The administration of Prof. Totolo has failed the student body and the university in ensuring a campus life that is conducive for residence and learning due to dilapidated facilities. There are re-occurring issues about the cafeteria services and security services that are never solved in this administration.
Complaints have been posted to Prof. Totolo in numerous occasions by the office of Student Representative Council and during Joint Student body meetings and all that is done is the student body is fed with false promises. Nothing is ever done to resolve permanently students’ complaints in the administration of Prof. Otlogetswe Totolo.
We the students of BIUST will boycott, by means of staying in our rooms, all academic activities of the university until such a time that the BIUST Council responds to us in writing on the resolution taken pertaining to this matter and are satisfied that the resolution of council is fair and just.