Protesting Wits University students say they cannot afford afford tuition and residence fees.
The students are currently protesting on campus and earlier they brought traffic to a standstill on Empire Road in Johannesburg.
Campus security has tightened security heavily at all the institution’s entrances and classes have been cancelled.
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The SRC is demanding that students owing R150 000 or less should be allowed to register and the R10 000 upfront fee for residences must be waivered, and students be allowed to move in.
Speaking to SABC News, one of the protesting students, who introduced himself as Lesego said: “The protest is about the SRC fighting for students who cannot register, because the institution is financially excluding them. We are talking about students who are academically qualified, (and) students who have historical debt.”
He says the R45 000 accommodation cap by NSFAS is also one of the issues on their list.
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“What happens to those student who come from places like Lusikisiki? They come to Wits thinking that they can get a degree and better their families. What happened to that? We are also fighting the NSFAS’ capped amount R45 000. Where in Joburg can you can an accommodation that costs R 45 000? NSFAS is just being unreasonable!”
VIDEO: NSFAS is being unreasonable: Wits student #sabcnews #WitsShutdown #WitsProtest #Wits pic.twitter.com/xT8z9HVjq0
— lebotshangela (@lebotshangela) March 1, 2023
The doors of higher education will be open to all. 🙌🏽🔥We are waiting for students to give the SRC mandate!! pic.twitter.com/db4FBDanMG
— Wits SRC101 (@Wits_SRC) March 1, 2023
Students at Wits University have disrupted class and blocked entrance to the university protesting over the lack of funding from the university and nsfas for students with historical debt.@SowetanLIVE pic.twitter.com/nhuCJTTNey
— Thuls 🇮🇹 (@ttmbele) March 1, 2023
