The OFM News team was at the campus' visitor centre on Wednesday morning to speak to a few students about the challenges on the ground. 

According to Kamohelo Seleke, Deputy Secretary-General: UFS SRC, many students are frustrated using the online method as they cannot opt to physically go to campus to sort out problems. This year the UFS introduced an online-only registration process for first-year, senior, and postgraduate students. This process has allowed the university to uphold the current lockdown regulations and to keep prospective and current students and staff safe. According to the UFS, no walk-in applicants will be allowed on campus because the university has reached its admissions capacity for 2021.

Seleke tells OFM News that submissions have been made to the university, requesting them to provide a point at the visitor's centre just off campus where each and every student experiencing registration problems online, will be able to have access to UFS staff to assist them. “It is a matter that we still need to engage about with the institution,” he says. It is the first time that registration had to be extended for more than a month. That should have alarmed the institution,” Seleke emphasises.

“Practically speaking, it [the online registration process] is not working, hence we find students gathering at the main gate saying they want access to campus, they want to register on campus, because the system is problematic and the system is working against students. Students are not able to register using the online system,” says Seleke. He further concludes that the institution's management is completely "divorced from reality faced by students". 

OFM News previously reported that despite these concerns, UFS spokesperson, Lacea Loader, said the protesters on Tuesday handed over a memorandum with a list of demands to the university's management regarding the aforementioned issues and a response was provided to the Concerned Student Movement on Wednesday morning, 10 March. At this moment the contents of the response are not known to OFM News. The situation on campus has since normalised.

“The executive management is committed to ensuring stability on campus and to the uninterrupted continuation of academic and administrative services and will continue to engage with students to find amicable solutions to matters that are of concern to them. It remains important that the 2021 academic year continues and that it is completed successfully,” Loader says.

The university has dismissed allegations the disgruntled group “stormed the campus buildings” or that the campus has been forced to shut down on Wednesday due to the matter. At present, the UFS has moved its entire registration process online.

OFM News/Blaine Jones and Olebogeng Motse