Mpumalanga nursing students assured supply of resources and stipends following protest
Nursing students demanded for their grievances to be addressed during a two-day protest.
The Mpumalanga Department of Health (DoH) said it is addressing the demands made by frustrated students of the Mpumalanga Nursing College on May 7 and 8.
On Thursday, May 8, the DoH’s spokesperson, Dumisani Malamule, said: “Textbooks, study material and gadgets have been procured. We are busy engaging a service provider for Wi-Fi, which will be working soon. The stipends they did not receive is due to an upgrade of the Persal system, but we are busy capturing them on the system to be paid soon.”
This follows as operations at the college were brought to a standstill on those two days when the entrance was blockaded with burning tyres and rocks as the students demanded action.
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The protesters claimed that the students’ representative council (SRC) has exhausted all internal avenues to engage with the college administration on various issues, leaving them with no choice but to embark on a shutdown so their grievances could be heard.
One of the affected students, Asakhe Zondo, said among the issues they were facing were the lack of essential study resources and unpaid stipends, hindering their academic performances.
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“We also want comprehensive renovations to the college’s infrastructure. There is a shortage of classrooms and the student accommodation is dilapidated,” Zondo said.
They also demanded that the college’s management take the SRC’s submissions seriously and engage meaningfully with student leaders.
