Durban - The University of KwaZulu-Natal's (UKZN) efforts to raise R1m to help fund students who are not able to register for the new academic year due to their outstanding debt fell very short by midday on Friday - the deadline day.
The university had launched the #WeCareUKZN crowdfunding campaign to address the immediate registration needs of students and appealed to the public and alumni to donate any amount via the backabuddy website.
However by midday only R16 890 had been raised - less than two percent of the target.
The university has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after violent protests rocked its campuses when students fighting over the scrapping of historical debt went on the rampage, clashing with police and private security guards. Buildings were torched and classes disrupted.
The university had required all students to pay at least 15 percent of the historical debt - capped at R45 000 - before they could register for 2020. Many students said that this was simply unaffordable as they came from very poor backgrounds.
In response to this the university - which has a student debt of R1.7bn - went on a fundraising drive.
Professor Anesh Maniraj Singh, Executive Director of University of KwaZulu-Natal Foundation said the university operates in a region with two economic spectrums—one of economic wealth and vibrancy; and another of intense poverty and underdevelopment.
"78% of our student population comes from households with incomes below R350 000 per annum. We have a proud history of embracing the least well-off members of our community, offering the largest possible number of qualified students a place to study, regardless of their financial background," he said.
"As a result, our student debt at the end of December 2019 stood at R1,7 billion. In spite of this, we have continued to implement processes (through financial clearance concessions) that effectively ensure that no single student of the University is required to pay 100% of their debt in full prior to registration. When compared to other public institutions in South Africa, the UKZN registration and historic debt processes are amongst the most enabling for students. Whilst the University has assisted students as best they could, there are still large numbers who require funding in order to register by the 6th of March 2020".
Despite the not reaching their full target on Friday the university intends to continue fundraising to help indebted students.
Members of the public are urged to visit http://www.backabuddy.co.za/wecareukzn and make a contribution.