Johannesburg - Ninety-five percent of Wits University students are already registered for the 2021 academic year.
This was according to the university’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Zeblon Vilakazi who briefed the media on Thursday.
Vilakazi indicated that the university has registered 95% of its 2021 student cohort consisting of 35 841 students, out of about 37 500 students.
He also refuted claims that the university had excluded 6 to 8 000 students saying, this number refers to all the students who owe Wits money over the last seven years.This, he said, includes some who dropped out and others who have been academically excluded for failing multiple times and losing their bursaries as a result.
“There are still two postgraduate intakes in July and September. Wits has extended registration to March 19 for undergraduate students and to March 12 for postgraduate students.”
Zeblon conceded that protests are part of the university’s culture and that they have been there since 1970.
According to Vilakazi the university’s student debt amounts to approximately R1 billion which is almost double of what it was at the end of 2017.
“We remain committed to assisting as many academically talented students as possible to register, within the possibilities of the resources that we have available. We have to ensure that the University remains financially sustainable and that we continue to offer quality higher education.”
Vilakazi refused to account for much of the developments of the protest around Braamfontein, stating that nothing major has occurred on campus and that the university will follow up with law enforcement.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that the university Hardship Fund worth R10 million was established to assist students who are experiencing financial hardship and who have historical debt (up to R120 000) to register and to secure accommodation, provided that they meet the criteria.
About 27 000 of the University’s 37 500 students are said to be on some form of financial aid, scholarship or bursary.
“In 2021, Wits received approximately 1 200 applications for assistance, of which more than 750 have already registered. The SRC has also been empowered to bring any special cases to the Wits Hardship Fund Committee for consideration.”
Vilakazi added that student debt was a national crisis which Wits cannot solve alone.
“The state and other social actors have a critical role to play in resolving this crisis. We need an urgent national debate on this crisis and our students need long-term, definitive solutions to funding higher education.”
IOL