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- Students from the University of Cape Town are holding massive demonstrations on the campus grounds.
- Students are demanding that the university allow them to register for the 2021 academic year, regardless of their outstanding debt.
- The government is expected to spend R42.1 billion on NSFAS in 2021, an increase of almost R7 billion over the previous year.
Students from the University of Cape Town (UCT) joined the fight against financial exclusion by closing the campus on Friday in an attempt to address the problem.
Disgruntled students gathered on campus and crowded into the Kramer Law Building.
They sang fight songs while waiting for comments from the university leadership.
On Thursday, the students held a mass meeting to discuss a series of issues that were tormenting them and there it was decided that they should embark on a protest action.
READ | Students fund a national crisis, says Wits vice chancellor in the wake of fare protests
Student council president Declan Dyer told News24 that if his demands were not met, all classes would be stopped when the academic year resumed.
“We hope the university will take note of the extent to which these issues affect students and student interest. The National Student Financial Aid Plan (NSFAS) has not finalized arrangements regarding 2021 assignments. No it may be that students and institutions are not yet clear on funding and allocation for the year. “
UCT SRC holds a mass meeting to discuss a possible closure
Dyer added that students would make their voices heard.
“When we use force, we respond to a system that uses force on us,” he added.
According to Dyer, around 2,500 students face financial exclusion. They have a combined debt of more than 115 million rand at the university.
After the mass gathering Thursday night at UCT, students began demonstrating on Main Road near the lower campus, blocking vehicles and forcing motorists to take alternate routes.
The SRC said the protest was expected to last until the students’ demands were met.
Students demand:
Let students register and have student debt eliminated.
NSFAS issues need to be resolved urgently.
UCT Council to pressure the government to fund all students.
Resignation of Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande.
However, UCT spokesman Elijah Moholola told News24 that the university had about 1,655 students who had a historical debt amounting to about R88 million.
“UCT, like all other universities, is awaiting NSFAS funding decisions for 2021 applicants. NSFAS handles all funding applications and these are beyond the control of the universities.
“Pending NSFAS results do not necessarily prohibit students from enrolling for the 2021 academic year. UCT does not charge any enrollment fees. Students can enroll without having to make any payments, including the minimum initial payment.”
READ | College teams could be shut down if Nzimande doesn’t meet student demands
The demonstration at UCT follows a similar protest action in Johannesburg, where Wits University students also took to the streets.
On Wednesday, students blocked Empire Road in Johannesburg.
They want the university to allow them to enroll for the 2021 academic year, regardless of how much they owe in historical debt.
The cabinet announced Thursday that it had approved additional NSFAS funding for students.
The government is scheduled to spend R42.1 billion on NSFAS this year, an increase of almost R7 billion in 2020. It is already more than R32 billion the previous year.
NSFAS funded 700,000 students last year.
Acting Provincial Secretary of the South African Student Congress (Sasco), Ongezwa Thimbo, said: “We are very infuriated by the way the government is treating students and no institution of higher education should continue until these issues are resolved. in universities “.
“It has been a decade since we have been fighting. We believe that the money will not be enough … to serve freshmen. And what about the debt? [we] do you still have to pay? “
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