Durban - Management at the Durban University of Technology held a meeting with student Representative Council (SRC) on Tuesday night following disruptions at the campus.
Students demanded that a memorandum listing their concerns be accepted.
In the memorandum, the students listed their concerns as housing‚ the late registration process‚ access to a relief fund and sBux allowances.
DUT’s senior director of corporate affairs, Alan Khan said the meeting was held to discuss the issues that were outlined in the SRC memorandum and to find a way forward.
“Following the meeting, the SRC has fully accepted management’s responses to majority of their demands. Both parties have agreed that SBux payment issues and the late registration requests, required further discussion in order for all parties to reach a consensus.
“A comprehensive plan of action for these issues which seeks to find lasting solutions, was also discussed,” he said.
Khan added, that all parties agreed that the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of DUT, Professor Thandwa Mthembu will engage with the NSFAS Administrator immediately to request an urgent investigation of the anomalies and discrepancies in the disbursed allowances to NSFAS funded students.
“Professor Mthembu was also mandated to request that the NSFAS Administrator deploy a team of senior officials with decision-making powers to urgently visit DUT and to empower the NSFAS team to resolve issues - that the DUT Financial Aid officials cannot resolve, due to the centralised NSFAS system.
“After Professor Mthembu’s engagement with the NSFAS Administrator, NSFAS agreed that they will deploy a team that will visit DUT before the end of business day today,” he said.
Khan said that the DUT Management commended the SRC for the calm and professional attitude displayed in the meeting.
“It was further agreed that more engagements will be arranged in the near future to discuss other issues that the SRC had tabled in the meeting.”