Students at the University of Fort Hare say many of them are unable to continue with their studies because they cannot afford to fund their education.
They have briefed the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Training in Parliament on some of the problems they encounter.
The President of the Student Representative Council, Siphiwe Nqabeni said problems with student funding is the main reason for protests at universities.
He says: “Students are being excluded and the management is saying that financial academic exclusion are done, and students were never told that they were academic excluded.”
“They only learned that they are academically excluded on the registration lines. Some were promised in December that academic appeal processes will be furnished before the registration starts.”
In the video below, President of the Student Representative Council, Siphiwe Nqabeni talks about the struggles faced by the students and he condemns the violence seen in the protests
Meanwhile, the University of KwaZulu-Natal says it can’t give in to student demands to write off historical debt.
The university has been rocked by violent student protests since the beginning of the academic year mainly over financial exclusions.
Briefing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, the institution said it wouldn’t be able to meet its financial obligations for the year if it gives in to student demands.
UKZN Vice Chancellor Nana Poku told committee members about the difficulties the institution is facing.
He says: “Our discussion at the start of the year from our student leadership-was that all student population members from the in camp of about 350 or below should be registered without paying any fees or indeed settling any specific historical debt. Those propositions were something that we could not see to in large part because we will render the institution with this huge historical problem which in turn will make it very difficult for us to finish the year.
UKZN: Disruptions Will Not Dictate Our Future
Over 85 % Of Our Students Are Registered And Ready To Return To Class – So Why Do The Disruptions And Violence Continue?
Read more: https://t.co/IweAUV58y7 pic.twitter.com/UR6pmeTIpR
— University of KZN (@UKZN) February 24, 2020
