Source: The Namibian
The University of Namibia (Unam) management knew of the exchange of marks for sexual favours between lecturers and students long before it officially launched an investigation into recent allegations.

Unam has been rocked by reports and allegations in the local media in recent weeks that its lecturers have been awarding students extra or higher marks in return for sexual favours and also that the lecturers are taking payment, as little as N$150, for doing coursework assignments for students.
Last Friday, Unam's director for communications and marketing Edwin Tjiramba announced that Unam had launched an investigation into the allegations.
However in March this year, the Action Research Team (ART) handed over a petition to Unam management, calling on it "take the necessary steps to stop gender-based violence and violations of sexual and reproductive rights on all Unam campuses".
"To put an end to the abuse of power by male lecturers who exchange marks for sexual favours (sexually transmitted marks)," is one of the points of the petition.
The petition was handed to Boniface Mutumba, pro-vice chancellor for finance and administration at Unam, and The Namibian reported on March 9 that Tjiramba said Unam had taken notice of the petition.
Lucy Edwards, a lecturer in Unam's sociology department and one of the coordinators of the ART, said that programme's research was focused on sexual and reproductive rights.
Edwards said in conducting the research, ART spoke to a number of students at Unam and found that lecturers awarded students higher marks in return for sexual favours.
When asked how long the practice had been continuing, Edwards could not comment but said that the office of the Dean should have such records as complaints were laid there.
When asked what response ART has received from Unam management on the petition, Edwards said a meeting was held where ART was informed that the matter was being discussed, "but we have had no official feedback or correspondence from management".
Since the scandal broke in local media, Education Deputy Minister David Namwandi has said that he would call on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate numerous cases of academic irregularities.
The Congress of Democrats (CoD) and the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) have condemned the alleged practice.
CoD secretary general Tsudao Gurirab said the allegations raised serious questions about the quality of higher education in Namibia, whereas RDP secretary for Information Jeremia Nambinga labelled Unam an "academic brothel".
Both Gurirab and Nambinga have called for an investigation into the allegations, and Nambinga went as far as calling on President Hifikepunye Pohamba to dismiss both Unam's chancellor, former President Dr Sam Nujoma, and its vice-chancellor, Lazarus Hangula.

• Namibia