The Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO) expressed disappointment in the exclusion of students from the recently announced task force on free public tertiary education.

The president of the organisation, Dorthea Nangolo, pronounced herself following the announcement by the Ministry of Education on the task force. 

However, Nanso expressed their excitement in the establishment of the task force and hopes that, come next year, students will not experience any pressure from registration and school fees.

The organisation also provided input on the application fees that students are required to pay, deeming them as fair. 

"In terms of students paying application fees for 2026, our position is that it is just right, primarily because when we say free tertiary education, it's not free; somebody has to pay for it. And in this case, the government is paying for it. But the government can't pay for everything; it's simply impossible. If it pays for everything, then not all the students will get the support that they need. Therefore, the minimum contribution we can make as students is to pay our application fees, which I believe is a reasonable expectation.

Contacted for a comment, the Executive Director in the Ministry, Gerald Vries, said the task force will be inclusive of all stakeholders, and they will be consulted in due time.