Striking students call for government intervention
"We will not go back to classes until Blade Nzimande come to the campus and address us." - Elangeni College students
STRIKING Elangeni College students in Pinetown have boycotted classes since Monday following numerous ‘unaddressed’ issues.
Students who spoke to the Highway Mail said they are fed up with the way the situation is being handled at the campus and there are many issues which need urgent attention.
“The management always gives us empty promises and we want something to be done, which is why we are calling for the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, to intervene. We will not go back to classes until the minister comes to the school.”
Students said they are on a legal strike as they wrote a letter to the management informing them about their grievances.
“The management was given until Friday, 15 May to get back to us with solutions. The issues we have, have been going on for years. There are former students who finished their courses years ago, but to this day they have not received their certificates,” said the students.
Pending results was one of the grievances the students had. “We write our exams, only to be told that the results are pending. Sometimes other students have to repeat the same course while waiting for those ‘pending results’. Why do we have to suffer for their carelessness and mistakes?”
They also complained about computers which are faulty, the delay in issuing of certificates, and bursaries which are not being paid out in full.
Another student said there are many school services that should be helping them, but instead they are not allowed to use them.
“I have been here for three years, but to this day I do not know how the library looks,” she said.
The students vowed to continue with the strike until Blade Nzimande visits the campus to hear their grievances.
