ACCESS in and out of NMMU’s south campus was blocked by about 60 protesting students yesterday.
The protesters marched down Summerstrand’s University Way to highlight issues including a lack of accommodation and access to finance.
Spearheaded by the ANC-aligned SA Students Congress (Sasco), the crowd sang and jeered as it made its way to NMMU’s Embizweni Building. Riding on the coattails of the
movement which crippled universities across the country last year, Sasco handed a list of demands to NMMU deputy vice-chancellor for institutional support Dr Sibongile Muthwa.
She was acting on behalf of vicechancellor Professor Derrick Swartz.
NMMU Sasco leader Lufefe Mkutu presented the list of demands to her. Sasco’s demands include that: ý The university deal with the accommodation crisis by the end of the week and that provisional accommodation be given to senior students before new students;
- The university find immediate access to funds for students who have not yet received money from the National Students’ Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS);
- The rate of application for students applying for debt relief be reassessed with a call for the finance department to meet three times a week to address the issues;
- Historical debt for senior students to be cleared and that those students be allowed to register; and
- That a vote of no confidence be instituted against the student representative council (SRC).
Mkutu also told the crowd that a petition being signed by students, calling for a vote of no confidence in the SRC, would continue.
“The petition will continue to circulate until we meet our target of 5 000,” he said.
“It is an important issue that we stand together to fight for student [rights].”
Muthwa thanked the students on behalf of NMMU’s management.
“We will accept the memorandum, sign it and will respond to the demands contained in it in good time,” she said.