Crisis as Daystar cracks down on union and student leaders

Daystar University Council on Wednesday announced suspension of key students and university staff unions and their leaders over demands to have a forensic report on the institution’s financials availed for scrutiny.

Council Chairman Mr George Khroda, in a statement, said all officials of Daystar University Students Association (DUSA), Senior Staff Association of Daystar University (SSADU) and Daystar University General Staff Association (DUGSA) were suspended from operating at the institution.

On Tuesday 3, the outfits jointly demanded that an audit report conducted by Source Messes Company which was scheduled to be released on February 15 be availed, blaming the vice chancellor for ignoring their demands.

The associations threatened to ground operations at the university should the council fail to avail the report by closure of business on Wednesday, but were halted by the notice of their suspension over the demands pointing to possible scandalous revelations by the audit.

“We regret that the University council has been unresponsive to the demands of the students’ fraternity and staff of Daystar University. We have all been living in a state of anxiety, disbelief and uncertainty and as a result our confidence in the governance of the university is constantly eroded,” reads part of the joint statement sent to the council on Tuesday.

An official of the students union has said staff and students had on Thursday converged at the main campus making good their threat to have all operations grounded until they are handed the report with full with findings of the audit.

“The Daystar University council is not more important than students and members of staff. We will not accept corrupt individuals to soil the name of this institution. We will root them out. We are a Christian university and while we are in office we shall not let corruption thrive in this institution. We shall not let rulers of the darkness continue to drag this institution backwards under our watch,” reads part of a statement by DUSA.

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Daystar University was founded by US Missionary Prof Donald Smith and Motsoko Pheko, an African Journalist in 1967 on a strong Christian foundation but insiders say super powered nepotism, greed and appetite for the available resources has taken a gamble on the university. There are fears that a private investor could soon take over the institution given its surge into a likely collapse.