Video: Students rampage over bursary fees
Since Monday, Nkangala FET College students have been on a rampage over bursary fees which hasn't been paid out to them yet.
Riot police had to be called to protect college property from 300 angry students who locked students and lecturers inside the campus grounds.
On Wednesday, a group of students were lucky to escape injury, after stationing themselves behind the vehicle of a college manager, in an effort to stop him from leaving the college grounds.
The manager however refused to be stalled and reversed out from his parking.
Students say that they’ve been struggling to get answers from the central FET offices in eMalahleni on why the bursary payouts were stalling.
Students are demanding that their bursaries, which also covers travel and accommodation fees, have been refused, despite having been processed and approved weeks ago.
FET management is now taking a hard stance on ongoing protests, refusing to be intimidated into paying out the bursary funds.
Protests had been relatively peaceful till Wednesday during a visit by the deputy CEO of FET central in eMalahleni.
His presence caused a frenzy under protesting students who followed him everywhere, and shouting “give us our money,” and “thief who stole our money”.
About 200 protesters gather at the campus throughout the week, though some students say an estimated 1000 enrolled bursary dependents, are affected.
People residing across the street from the campus in End Street, has also been plaguing the Observer with calls relating to the disturbance caused by students who, lounge on their lawns and in front of their gates.
On Wednesday smoke bellowed from dustbins set alight by furious students who, were later also seen burning tires in front of the college gates.
By time of print, the stalemate has still not been resolved, with students now threatening to set the cars of lecturers alight.
The CEO, Dr Peter Sibuyiselo Qwabe, could not be reached for comment due to the phone lines of the central offices in eMalahleni, being occupied by students who claim that every time they succeed in getting through, the phone is simply slammed down on them.
“They say that payments have been cancelled due to our ill discipline regarding the matter,” a protest group leader told the Observer.
•Go to www.mobserver.co.za to watch video footage of the ongoing protest at the Nkangala FET College by students demanding bursary payouts.
• Have your say about the barrage of violent protest that have crippled the town in the past couple of weeks. SMS the word Protest, followed by your comment to 37940 at R1,50 per SMS.
