Desperate WSU students protest, put their case to deputy minister
Tired of sitting at home twiddling their thumbs, hundreds of Walter Sisulu University students embarked on a silent protest on Monday, demanding to be allowed back into residences.
This, they said, would allow them to continue attending virtual classes as some had poor network connections at home.
Their demonstration was in response to university management’s delay in reopening the institution for its first cohort of students.
Higher education, science and innovation minister Blade Nzimande had announced Monday would see the first cohorts of students returning to campuses, but WSU announced that students could only return from September 2.
However, students say they need to be in their residences, which are more “conducive” for learning and would enable them to continue with virtual learning programmes.
Students from all WSU campuses — Buffalo City, Komani, Butterworth and Mthatha — attended Monday’s protest.
They took their grievances to higher education, science and innovation deputy minister Buti Manamela, who was conducting an oversight visit to institutions of higher learning in Buffalo City Metro.
Manamela visited Buffalo City TVET College and the University of Fort Hare on Monday, when he addressed students.
The department had taken the decision to “save lives and the academic year”, he told them.
“Saving lives means that must be the most primary thing that must happen. We don’t want you to go back to campus to go and die when we know that if certain things that are done when you go back will result in you getting infected.
“That’s why we took a decision that only 33% of students will return to campus.”
Last week WSU students vowed to “take action” and occupy university residences on August 3 if their demands were not met.
Their demands included:
● That management issue a statement before August 1 allowing students to return to campus;
● That no student be academically excluded next year;
● That the mode of assessment be adjusted; and
● That July NSFAS allowances be loaded for students who did not receive them.
Their demands were not met. Student leaders said management did not even respond.
Sasco chair Sanda James said their silent protest had been “fruitful”.
“The SRC was able to unpack the issues that face WSU students directly to the deputy minister. The demonstration had two aims: for students to move back into residence and to meet the deputy minister,” he said.
James said after meeting with Manamela and his team, they would take up the student issues with university management and revert to them by August 14.
Speaking on the students’ demand to go back to residences, James said students “wanted to engage with no anarchy”.
By print deadline on Monday, students were still planning on occupying residences.
Manamela said the department had instructed all universities to “make sure that they engage with stakeholders on campus to determine which students must return to campus and to strengthen support for students who are staying at home, meaning universities should do their best to get those students data and learning devices,” Manamela said.
Distribution of learning devices and data had been “confronted with challenges due to the coronavirus” at some universities, he added.