Pretoria - Students from Unisa are today expected to stage sit-ins as part of the planned nationwide protests to mount pressure on the institution’s management to reopen all campuses.
Students want management to reopen all campuses in order to attend to outstanding registration problems affecting those who are frustrated by the “ineffective” online system.
The protests will be spearheaded by student representatives from the ANC Youth League and Young Communist League at the Sunnyside campus.
Young Communist League Sunnyside campus secretary Khongelani Chauke said students were mobilised to “occupy” all campuses in line with lockdown safety protocols.
Chauke said students’ representatives had tried in vain to engage the management on their grievances, which included non-payment of the fees of students using the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
“They have been dilly-dallying about the matter of reopening the campuses. They have not formally responded to us,” Chauke said.
“The online system has proved to be ineffective, at least on the administrative part. Students have been sending countless emails to the university staff without getting assisted.”
Other students were aggrieved that they had not been registered after they paid their fees. Students under the NSFAS were in the same boat after their fees remained uncleared on the system.
Chauke said the fees of all students on the scheme had not been paid.
Students lamented the fact that they were set to write their exams in three weeks’ time without proper support from the university.
Unisa had yet to comment late yesterday.
Pretoria News