Protests over aid delays shut campuses
The University of Venda and the University of the Free State’s Qwaqwa campus remained closed this week after students protested against payment delays by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Students at the University of Venda were adamant they would stay away until they had all had received their allowances from the scheme for food and school supplies.
The University of Free State’s management said they had decided temporarily to close the university until April 18 “due to the imminent threats to the safety of staff and students on the campus”.
Acting principal of the Qwaqwa campus Teboho Manchu said the situation was made difficult by the fact that students on provisional registration who were waiting for the outcome of their NSFAS appeals were dealing directly with NSFAS. “This makes it difficult for the university to intervene,” said Manchu.
University of Venda spokesman Takalani Dzaga said students had made it clear that they would not return to class until payments were made to everyone for allowances. “There are those who are spending a lot of time in the library, but no lectures are happening,” he said.
NSFAS spokesman Kagisho Mamabolo said they had resolved most of the challenges faced by students at the University of Venda. He said the NSFAS had met with the university’s delegation and aided 70% of affected students.
“This is after we have approved and sent loan agreement forms, and at least 87% of students who received loan agreement forms have signed their forms,” he said.
Mamabolo confirmed that by Tuesday, 4,859 students at the University of Venda had received their allowances, compared with the previously reported 2,754 students.
He said the NSFAS would finalise the remaining disbursement to the qualifying students by Thursday.
“By the end of this week, we will not have a single student who is affected, provided that all the students who received their agreement forms sign them so we can immediately generate allowance forms,” Mamabolo said.