Student protests: KZN universities suspend classes for a week
Updated | By Nomfundo Ngcobo and Jacaranda FM
Some representatives in KZN say they'll be joining the national shutdown a little later.
They're observing a period of mourning, following the death of AmaZulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini.
The SA Union of Students said yesterday that it has no choice but to force the government to listen.
SRC president at the UKZN, Siyabonga Moses says they support the shutdown but respect the week-long mourning period declared by the Premier.
The University of KwaZulu Natal says it's decided to suspend its academic programme, from today until Friday after talks with the government and student bodies.
The varsity says online registrations will continue for first-year and returning students.
The Mangosuthu University of Technology says it's postponed its registrations to the 23rd of March, as this would give MUT more time to solve all NSFAS-related challenges.
The South African Students Congress (Sasco) has warned of plans to shut down all institutions of higher learning.
The shutdown of all campuses across the country is expected to start on Monday.
The shutdown is part of the ongoing protests over the financial exclusion of indebted students which started at Wits.
Sasco president Bamanye Matiwane says all students must be allowed to register.
"We are in a pandemic, all of us, and there are many concessions made for other departments and stakeholders.
"Now we are saying, there must a concession to students to say allow them to register for free because part of a majority of them, their parents lost jobs, they don't have money, we are in a serious crisis. Why can't universities understand that all of us are in a corner and assist each other."
NOW READ: National shutdown of universities on 15 March as protests continue
Matiwane says the organisation will also meet with the African National Congress (ANC), which it believes has failed the country’s students.
"We feel that the leadership of the ANC is not serious, because they were supposed to plan these things in 2020 and not now.
"They can't be planning now when we are fighting. They are causing unnecessary conflict and it becomes a problem. So, that is why we decided, let us shut down all campuses.”
Sasco and the ANC are set to meet on Monday.
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