2012 brings a major challenge for the University of Namibia (UNAM). It appears that the institution is facing an uphill struggle to provide students with computers.  The ratio of students to computers at the University of Namibia appears to be worsening year by year. While students would be expecting new improvements in all sectors and structures of the best proclaimed tertiary institution in Namibia, it seems as if all UNAM’s efforts are in vain. The library consisted of over 300 computers, but most of these were removed to be replaced with new computers.

The library at the University of Namibia now only has access to around 70 computers, required by close to 13 000 students on a daily basis. This is an embarrassment to the institution. Foreign students have chosen to travel over these borders in search of quality education at Namibia’s only University only to find, amongst other problems that students would generally face, a shortage of books in the library and that services to assist students are slow and grinding.
At any time of day there are five students lined up at one library computer waiting to use the internet.  A student who needs to type an assignment could wait standing for two hours before he or she gets an available computer.
Is it that the University cannot afford new computers, or has it simply neglected this situation? It suggests that the higher authorities at the University are not doing their jobs, or have they turned a blind-eye to the issues affecting students, thus giving students a harder task in producing efficient work. Where are and what are the Student Representative Councils doing?  Do they not realise that there is a lack of computers in the library because they have computers in their offices? It’s not about just computers for that matter, there are other issues affecting students.
SRC, Student Representative Council is a name and term needing no explanation. These are people chosen to represent students, to be the voices of students, but what are they doing? NOTHING!
This has been the situation at the library for almost three months now and there are still no new computers for the students. Only one word for the UNAM library: CHAOS!

By Tresia Pandeni