Student protests come to an end as Nzimande re-allocates R7bn
The national student
shutdown that started on March 15 has come to an end following a meeting
between the South African Union of Students (SAUS) and the Minister of Higher
Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimade.
In a statement, the student body says it met with others including the office of the Public Protector and the Parliamentary Committee on Education to discuss the 15 demands related to funding that were tabled by students.
Here are the key outcomes of the meetings SAUS says it held with all stakeholders.
- Nzimande has reallocated R7 billion back to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) which will allow first year students to register at different Universities.
- 22 out of the 26 universities agreed to suspend academic exclusions for the 2020 cohort of affected students.
-643 000 students who were on the verge of financial exclusion managed to register in the last two weeks through online registration.
-All NSFAS funded students are now being allowed to register without having to pay the Minimum Initial Payment (MIP) or registration fees.
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-SAUS was able to raise a R5 million donation from one CETA to fund needy students who are studying towards Built Environment and Critical Skills qualification
-The problem of the R13 billion student debt has been successfully placed on the national agenda again, and a process has been established to categorise the debt properly so that proposals for a solution can now be tabled to parliament.
SAUS adds that 19 of the 26 universities have started to allow students back onto campuses and residences and the remaining seven institutions are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
The Union will be submitting a report on the students affected by victimisation, suspensions and unlawful arrests following the recent protests to the office of the Public Protector for investigation.
