The extension covers both first-year and senior students. The registration process at the institution’s Bloemfontein, South and Qwaqwa campuses has continued seamlessly apart from a single minor incident on 24 January where the university’s management suspended first-year registration after disgruntled students disrupted the process. The situation has continued without hiccups with security maintaining a close watch and keeping the peace. 

The UFS was not affected by countrywide protests led by the South African Union of Students’ (Saus) in previous weeks, which led to the shutdown of the North West University’s Mahikeng campus as well as the University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN)in Durban. 

Saus on behalf of 24 campuses, sent the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande a memorandum of 15 demands which include allowing students with historical debts to register, and giving students access to examination results, academic records and certificates even if they owe the university in question fees. Nzimande agreed to the demands brought forward albeit with varied conditions. The situation at the NWU’s Mahikeng campus has also returned to normal, with students being able to register. 

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