The University of the Witwatersrand is closed for the day.
The institution issued a statement saying the suspension followed “a sit-in by groups of students and student leaders who initially prevented staff and students from entering campus and who disrupted some academic activities this morning”.
“Aside from one altercation this morning and the vandalisation of some classes overnight‚ no violence has been reported‚” the statement said.
Earlier this morning students protested over the high cost of tertiary education and disrupted access to the university.
All the blockaded entrances have since been opened and the march to hand over students grievances has commenced.
Shirona Patel Wits University Spokesperson spoke to news broadcaster eNCA and stated that the school knew about the march which had been planned for 12 o’clock but not the protest, which she termed was unofficial.
Patel gave a breakdown of which students would be affected by the fee increase.
“About 70 percent of our students are on bursary, financial aid, scholarships or on student funding. So this affects about 30 per cent of our student body. Of the 30 per cent the people who feel the pinch the most are those who are not poor enough to qualify for NFSAS and they’re not wealthy enough to pay for their fees upfront.”
The university spokesperson went on to say that there are various reasons why the fees went up.
She stated that lack of student funding, an increase in utilities, electricity and lights going up, and a decrease in government subsidies were amongst the pressures that added to the universities budget. The pressures on the budget do not stop there, the university is planning an increase of staff salary of 7 percent for the next 3 years, the rand dollar exchange rate which impacts learning material prices also impacts negatively on the budget.
Patel went on to say that the university has had meetings with the students to inform them about the rise in fees and the need for this.
Nomphendulo Mkhatshwa, President elect of the Wits SRC 2015/2014, however feels that the students where not part of the decision but were rather told what the decision was, after it were made.
“The issues of fees is a crises nationally, year in year out we see our institutions perpetually increase these fees without thorough consultation with the student body. They speak about consultation, consultation is not saying guys here are the fees and when we try to engage on the figures given we are marginalized in the discussion either through a limitation of information or just through lack of understanding towards students.”
Nomphendulo went on to say that when an institution raised it’s fees above inflation it sent the clear message that the university was out to make profit instead of education student.
Wits University closed due to protest
The University of the Witwatersrand is closed for the day.
The institution issued a statement saying the suspension followed “a sit-in by groups of students and student leaders who initially prevented staff and students from entering campus and who disrupted some academic activities this morning”.
“Aside from one altercation this morning and the vandalisation of some classes overnight‚ no violence has been reported‚” the statement said.
Earlier this morning students protested over the high cost of tertiary education and disrupted access to the university.
All the blockaded entrances have since been opened and the march to hand over students grievances has commenced.
Shirona Patel Wits University Spokesperson spoke to news broadcaster eNCA and stated that the school knew about the march which had been planned for 12 o’clock but not the protest, which she termed was unofficial.
Patel gave a breakdown of which students would be affected by the fee increase.
“About 70 percent of our students are on bursary, financial aid, scholarships or on student funding. So this affects about 30 per cent of our student body. Of the 30 per cent the people who feel the pinch the most are those who are not poor enough to qualify for NFSAS and they’re not wealthy enough to pay for their fees upfront.”
The university spokesperson went on to say that there are various reasons why the fees went up.
She stated that lack of student funding, an increase in utilities, electricity and lights going up, and a decrease in government subsidies were amongst the pressures that added to the universities budget. The pressures on the budget do not stop there, the university is planning an increase of staff salary of 7 percent for the next 3 years, the rand dollar exchange rate which impacts learning material prices also impacts negatively on the budget.
Patel went on to say that the university has had meetings with the students to inform them about the rise in fees and the need for this.
Nomphendulo Mkhatshwa, President elect of the Wits SRC 2015/2014, however feels that the students where not part of the decision but were rather told what the decision was, after it were made.
“The issues of fees is a crises nationally, year in year out we see our institutions perpetually increase these fees without thorough consultation with the student body. They speak about consultation, consultation is not saying guys here are the fees and when we try to engage on the figures given we are marginalized in the discussion either through a limitation of information or just through lack of understanding towards students.”
Nomphendulo went on to say that when an institution raised it’s fees above inflation it sent the clear message that the university was out to make profit instead of education student.
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