Still no agreement on Wits student debt as academic year kicks off

The SRC shut down the registration process at the Braamfontein campus last week amid anger over the exclusion of indebted students.

Mfeka says the institution must allow students to register and sort out their debts while studying.

“We are having a meeting this evening to decide if we do continue with the demonstration, but it is more likely that we will proceed. Our need to strike was because students are frustrated with debts and they cannot even afford to register.

“We are not saying the university must scrap their debts, we are saying they must be allowed to register and the debt will remain but this year no one has money,”says Mfeka.

Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel says 37 000 students have successfully registered, including most first-year students.

She says the management met with the SRC on Wednesday evening and proposed additional concessions, although the two parties failed to reach an agreement.

Patel says the university makes provision for students on financial aid, scholarships and bursaries.

“Wits remains committed to finding long-term, sustainable solutions to fund students.

“There are currently multiple demands on the university’s budget from organised labour, the SRC and other student organisations. Wits’ budget is finite and under severe pressure at the moment, and management cannot accede to all the SRC’s demands if the university is to remain sustainable.”

Wits has committed R10 million to assist students who are experiencing financial hardship and who have historical debt to register and secure accommodation.

“We remain committed to assisting students within the limits of the university’s available resources. Wits has a duty to remain financially sustainable and viable and to ensure that it continues to deliver quality higher education,” Patel says.

Wits will kick off its 2021 academic programme on Monday.

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