TUT students march against lack of funding

Tshwane University of Technology student leaders are currently in a meeting with university management to resolve the impasse between them.

The meeting follows the student protest on Monday morning at the university’s Pretoria campus over the institution’s failure to allow poor students’ accommodation.

University spokesperson Phaphama Tshisikhawe confirmed to Rekord that university management was engaging with student leaders following Monday’s march.

“The university management is currently in discussions with the SRC, following protests conducted by one student organisation since yesterday morning at some of our Pretoria campuses,” Tshisikhawe said.

She, however, expressed the institution’s dissatisfaction with the disruption to the academic programme.

“We regret the disruption of the academic programme of the university at our Pretoria campuses. Students enrolled at these campuses cannot afford any further disruptions to the academic year. Current discussions are aimed at the speedy resumption of normal academic operations at the Pretoria campuses.”

On Monday students blockaded the university’s entrance as they formed a human chain in front of the booms, barring anyone from entering the premises.

The students said they will continue protesting until their plight is heard.

Student Ntombikayise Mathomane said that she is disappointed by how the institution has done things this year.

“Things are very slow, we got half of our allowances and we couldn’t do important things.

“Data being not allocated makes us struggle to do our assignments and to attend our online classes,” she added.

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande has raised concerns about the violent nature of some of the protests in a meeting they held with Universities South Africa (USAF) yesterday (March 7).

In the statement released by Nzimande, Department of Education and Training and USAF agreed on the following:

– All deserving Nsfas students who are in debt be allowed to register at universities, provided they sign the Acknowledgement of Debt form.

– All Nsfas-qualifying students be allowed to register without upfront payment.

– All students, whether they owe the university or not, must be given their academic records, either for the purpose of pursuing employment or further study.

“USAF has been working on a common approach to this matter and that it has been agreed that all universities provide a form of academic transcript to all students, regardless of their financial status,” according to the statement.

– The matter of post-graduate funding, and in particular students who are Nsfas recipients wishing to continue to postgraduate studies be prioritised for funding through the National Research Foundation. However, it must be borne in mind that entry to post-graduate study has its own requirements, that often require a much higher pass mark as undergraduate level.

– All “missing middle” students who do not qualify for Nsfas but cannot afford higher education be accommodated in our comprehensive funding model, which is in its final stages of development and approval.

However, since the 2020 academic year, USAF confirmed that all universities have processes and funding arrangements in place to assist missing middle students with debt so that they can register.

“The issue of the student debt is also being dealt with as part of the development of a comprehensive student funding model. It is therefore incorrect and misleading to say that the issue of student debt is not being dealt with, in all its complexities,” the statement read.

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