The protesting students, who asked to remain anonymous, told OFM News the institutions’ management has failed to address a few important issues of student allowances. They say they want the suspended student leaders, including Moses Ntonyane, to be reinstated and also called for the disbandment of the current Student Representative Council (SRC) structure lead by the EFF student Command (EFFSC). Student activist, Moeketsi Moeketsi, who is part of those leading the protests which resulted in the shutdown of the institution, has reiterated students' calls that the university will not operate until their demands are addressed.

“We are going to continue with the unrest and we are going to make the institution ungovernable until such time that all our issues have been resolved. Like I've said, there are non-negotiable demands - one, lifting the suspension of our comrade president, secondly, the issue that is not negotiable is the SRC elections, because we want SRC elections that are free and fair,” he adds.

He alleges the institution has failed to send the template of students approved for funding to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), hence students were not paid for the past few months. He says this was the biggest mistake by the institution.

Meanwhile, the CUT’s spokesperson, Dan Maritz, in a statement explained that approximately 789 students have problems with their bank accounts, while 702 students have no banking details on the FUNDI system which they use for payments. Maritz, in a statement, adds that the university is aware of students’ grievances, and that payment of student allowances has been taking place from Friday.

Students on Sunday at 18:00 embarked on the protests which were supported by the South African Student Congress Organisation (Sasco) over these long protracted various issues. 

OFM News previously reported that due to the failure to pay student allowances, students said that many of them had to deregister.

OFM News