The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) has decided to withhold student accommodation payments for Emona student residence at the University of Namibia (UNAM) as students did not make use of their services for most of the year, due to COVID-19. This was contained in a response letter by NSFAF acting chief executive officer Kennedy Kandume to NANSO's request for the fund to withhold such payments while it consults Emona management on price concerns as raised by the students. The letter said payments will not be done until the residence's management and NANSO have negotiated the prices to be paid by students. NANSO’s secretary for education, training, and research, Malcolm Kambanzera, in their request on Thursday said while some of the students have not cancelled their contract with Emona for the duration of COVID-19 lockdown and while some have kept their belongings in the residence, they have not used most of Emona’s services for the better part of the year and as such, the amounts invoiced by the residence are excessive, exorbitant, unreasonable and not welcomed by the students. “The amounts charged are insensitive to the challenges faced by parents and students due to COVID-19. We thus, write to you to withhold all payments to the Emona residence in respect of these invoices. This should be done until the Emona residence management comes to the negotiation table and accordingly agree with student leaders on reasonable amounts,” Kambanzera requested. Kandume in the response letter on Friday stated that the fund has agreed to NANSO's request, however, accommodation payments for some students have already been made to Emona. “We thus request your organisation to resolve this matter with Emona hostel management as soon as possible so that we conclude non-tuition fee payments for the concerned students,” Kandume wrote.