Calm expected as varsities reopen after protests

Published Feb 18, 2019

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Johannesburg - With calm expected at higher education institutions this week, Minister Naledi Pandor says qualifying National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) students should not be left out in the cold.

The Department of Higher Education says qualifying NSFAS students should not be excluded from registering at varsities because of historic debt.

Students who are qualified to receive NSFAS funding are urged to sign an acknowledgement of debt agreement.

After several weeks of unrest at higher education institutions, classes were expected to resume today.

Some of the institutions that have been disrupted over the last few weeks include Wits University, Durban University of Technology (DUT), Vaal University of Technology and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Students were protesting over registration, historic debt and accommodation.

Classes at DUT were expected to resume today following the death of a student, Mlungisi Madonsela, outside the Steve Biko campus in Durban early this month.

At Wits, the student representative council (SRC) has also come to an agreement with management. This brings to an end a week-long hunger strike and protest.

The SRC says it has reached an agreement with the university after both parties agreed to opening a "hardship" fund for students who meet the readmission criteria.

The Star

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