Zim student turns to court as permit woes disrupt studies

A THIRD-YEAR Zimbabwean student has filed an urgent application at the East London High Court seeking urgent relief after he was kicked out of the University of Fort Hare for not having a study permit.

Rashid Pena, a nursing student from Harare, wants the court to set aside the decision of UFH and the South African Nursing Council (SANC) to prevent him from registering for his third year of studies. Pena claims in court papers he is being treated unfairly by the two institutions. This is after UFH admitted, registered and allowed Pena to study in 2016 and 2017 without a permit.

Pena claims he has missed out on three weeks’ work after he was blocked from registering on February 26.

Pena, with the help of his uncle, Tapiwa Chininga, a PHD fellow from Wits, approached the court last week for the relief after the SANC declared his 2016 and 2017 academic results null and void.

UFH is under fire from the nursing council for registering Pena.

SANC refused to allow Pena to do practical training at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital without the permit.

The matter will be heard by Judge Gerald Bloem today.

The UFH is listed as the first respondent and the SANC as the second.

Pena was admitted and registered by Fort Hare University for a four-year Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2016 but, being an international student, was required by law to apply for a study permit.

Pena claims he could not get the study permit due to the #FeesMustFall strike at UFH, which brought the operations of the university’s International Relations Office to a near standstill.

In his papers he states: “Further to that, the South African Embassy in Zimbabwe was not taking applications during that time because of a high number of people applying for permit renewal at the same time. The permits which created a backlog were called special dispensation programme permits.”

Pena said he was registered at UFH on the strength of a letter from the Department of Home Affairs authorising UFH to register him pending the unblocking of the problems at the South African Embassy in Zimbabwe.

Contacted for comment UFH lawyer Bulwana Bangani said: “Together with SANC we bring the same line of argument that the application is frivolous, self-created and non-compliant with the rules, and we believe it should not be reviewed. We are ready to argue.” —