Recently, there were protests at the Gqeberha and George campuses of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) which had disrupted learning on the first academic day at the institution.
Entrances to both campuses, in Gqeberha and George Campus, were blocked by protesting students.
The university understood the issues were around financial aid matters that were posing a challenge to some students’ ability to register for the 2022 academic year, particularly the returning cohort.
One of the students returning to the university said that she is frustrated as she has a lot of admin work that she has to attend to.
In a SABC live interview, NMU SRC President, Pontsho Hlongwane shared:
We have raised these matters. We have warned the university on Friday that this might happen if the university does not come to the party.
It has been reported that the protests were sparked by fees issues and delays of NSFAS payments.
In a statement by the university, NMU confirmed that the university’s management held a series of positive engagements with student representatives. This is where these leaders outlined student grievances, mostly in relation to financial aid and registration challenges.
The university also said a more detailed update on the grievances tabled and formal responses will be made available in due course.
