05/06/2026
Katjimune Slams Ballotti Over Student Protest Mockery
By Kaleb Nghishidivali
Former Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) Member of Parliament Maximalliant Katjimune has strongly criticized Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture, Dino Ballotti, over comments he made on social media regarding students protesting delays in the payment of tuition and non-tuition fees by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
Katjimune described Ballotti's remarks as insensitive and inappropriate, arguing that student concerns regarding delayed allowances are legitimate and deserve serious attention from government leaders.
“A whole Deputy Minister of Education mocking a legitimate student protest where students are demanding their fees. As a former student leader for many years, I have never witnessed such an inappropriate and insensitive comment from a member of the Executive regarding student protests,” said Katjimune.
The criticism follows a social media post by Ballotti on Friday in which he questioned the rationale behind the demonstrations. Referring to a protest involving a small number of participants, Ballotti wrote: “1 constitutes a protest according to my learned brother, Job.”
He further questioned the timing of the action, stating that protests are generally undertaken when normal channels for resolving grievances have failed.
“Google tells us that when the belief that the normal channel(s) for addressing a grievance (dialogue, petitions, negotiations etc.) have failed or are inaccessible, then we proceed, be it 1 or 10,” Ballotti wrote.
The Deputy Minister also pointed out that student leaders had recently engaged with NSFAF officials and had met with Prime Minister, yet still proceeded with the protest.
“The union walked out of the NSFAF engagement on Monday, they met with the Right Honourable PM yesterday, and still opted to protest. What exactly is the perceived injustice? Delay? And years prior? I fully appreciate the consequences of remaining silent, but I do NOT support the decision to protest, and if you’re gonna protest, do it properly!” he added.
The peaceful demonstrations were organized nationwide by student leaders and activists seeking urgent intervention over delays in the disbursement of non-tuition fees. Protesters reportedly aimed to pressure authorities and draw attention to the financial challenges many students face due to the delayed payments.
In Windhoek, students gathered at Government Park, while similar demonstrations were witnessed in several regions across the country. Organizers had initially indicated plans to shut down education offices and ministry facilities as part of their campaign to demand action from government and NSFAF.
The exchange has sparked debate on social media, with some supporting Ballotti's call for continued dialogue, while others argue that students have a constitutional right to protest when they feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed.
As discussions continue, students remain hopeful that their demands regarding delayed allowances will receive urgent attention from the relevant authorities.
