As student protest continue across the nation, the University of KwaZulu-Natal(UKZN) are meeting with all relevant parties to discuss the way forward for universities in KwaZulu-Natal and possibly the rest of the country
At UKZN's Westville campus university stakeholders, SRC members and other relevant parties are meeting to discuss a solution to the ongoing problem students are facing.
Students are officially fed up with universities and the Nation Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for the ongoing issue of financial exclusion and historic debt.
UKZN Student Representative Council (SRC) president, says that they have been communicating with the universities management via email, but the responses they are receiving are shallow and aren't in the favour of the students.
He says:
Students are very angry and have been showing their anger even towards the SRC.
Continuous meetings are being held on various campuses to figure out a way forward, while also meeting the students requests.
Students have complained about being misled by NSFAS, saying that their appeals are open when they aren't, resulting in students being financially excluded.
Students are in years of historical debt because, they were told they are funded by NSFAS but, NSFAS aren't paying their fees, making it difficult for them to register every year.
UKZN has offered students a 50% discount towards their registration fees but, the offer was rejected by the students.
Going forward the SRC wishes to have proper consultations with all the relevant stakeholders of the institutions, but until then students are demanding that all academic activities be put on hold until the issue is resolved and they can all register
Protests have been confirmed to continue going forward and have already begun at UKZN's Pietermaritzburg campus.
