EFF takes up cudgel for broke students

THE Economic Freedom Fighters in the Eastern Cape have taken up the fight of thousands of returning students who are expected to pay 25% of their debt before they re-register for the new academic year.

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo has confirmed that the EFF leadership had met with the university management to engage on the issue. She said the percentage required from the students was part of the university’s debt management programme.

“What needs to be clarified in this instance is the fact that the students that are required to pay the 25% do not fall in the category of poor students. The other part are students that were initially funded by NSFAS but lost the funding because they did not meet the academic requirements set by the funding scheme,” said Tukwayo.

The university requires those who owe less than R50 000 to settle 15% of that debt while those who owe more are expected to pay 25%.

Provincial EFF convener Yazini Tetyana said thousands of students could not be excluded on the basis of financial challenges in a country that has “free education”.

“Majority of students at WSU come from rural villages with very little financial muscle. Some have been rejected by NSFAS because of lack of sufficient documents… It is strange that the university would not be able to carry this through the [exclusions] committee so that each case can be assessed on its individual merits,” said Tetyana.

WSU has been batting with historical debt, which is currently sitting at R850-million.

Last month, when Higher Education Deputy Minister Bhuti Manamela visited the university, he promised that historical debt owed to universities by students would be investigated and a plan would be made.