By ADRIENNE CARLISLE, SIMTHANDILE FORD and DAVID MACGREGOR
Most University of Fort Hare students will not have to pay for fee increases next year as “almost 100%” of the students qualify for the announced government subsidy that will pay the fees.
UFH vice-chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom said the announcement by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande on Monday – that students assisted by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and those whose parents earned less than R600000 a year, would be exempt from fee increases next year – would benefit most of Fort Hare’s students.
“This is exactly what happened this year. The University of Fort Hare has almost 100% of its students falling between the NSFAS and missing middle categories.”
Tom further advised students to go back to class as they had already lost time during last week’s and this week’s stayaways.
On Monday, Nzimande announced that all NSFAS-qualifying students, as well as the so-called “missing middle” students whose families earned above the NSFAS threshold but were unable to support their children to access higher education, would experience no fee increase next year.
Government would pay for the fee adjustment.
Meanwhile, an interim interdict prohibiting Walter Sisulu University (WSU) students from assaulting and intimidating staff, disrupting academic activities or damaging and stealing university property was made final in the Grahamstown High Court yesterday
The interdict was not opposed.
There are currently interim or final interdicts prohibiting unlawful behaviour operating at several university campuses across the country, including Rhodes University, University of Cape Town, University of Johannesburg and now WSU.
WSU sought and was granted the urgent interim interdict last month at the height of renewed #FeesMustFall student protests.
WSU registrar Khaya Maphinda said in an affidavit at the time that students at its Mthatha, Butterworth, and East London campuses had engaged in unruly and unlawful conduct.
He said while student anger was because of the actions of the education ministry and proposed fee increases at higher education institutions – over which WSU and other universities had no control or influence – students were directing their fury at WSU, its property, staff and facilities.
“WSU will not tolerate acts of malicious damage to its property – which is after all publicly funded – and acts of intimidation and violence, none of which are lawful.”
He said they had a duty to protect staff, students and property from harm.
Grahamstown High Court Judge Judith Roberson granted the application.
WSU spokesman Thando Cezula could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Rhodes University students waited for a vice-chancellor’s staff forum meeting late yesterday afternoon before deciding on a way forward.
At the forum meeting, vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela said university funds were severely stretched as a result of dwindling government subsidies and increased enrolments that had doubled over the last 20 years.
He said everybody at Rhodes needed to work together to come up with solutions that allowed deserving, needy students to access free higher education and not people who could afford to pay increased fees for quality tuition.
Infrastructure, finance and operations head Dr Iain L’Ange explained how the university was owed R144-million in outstanding fees saying this was impacting on cashflow.
He said the university needed R57-million a month to operate and there was just more than a month’s worth of money currently in their bank account.
After the meeting, students gathered on the Drostdy lawns for a student representative council (SRC) meeting to discuss a way forward.
Students were told the SRC had taken a stance that higher education should be free and that the meeting was being held to get a directive from constituents.
SRC vice-president Zweli Hlatshwayo said they were busy consulting student leaders at other Eastern Cape universities to do something as a collective as the issue was a national one.
Students at the meeting objected to media being present and reporting their strategies.
In Port Elizabeth, students shut down the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) yesterday as acting vice-chancellor Dr Sibongile Muthwa endorsed the fight for free tertiary education for the poor.
Muthwa spoke to protesting students at NMMU’s south campus yesterday afternoon.
Hours later it was announced that the university would be closed today and tomorrow. — Additional reporting by Devon Koen
No fee increase for UFH majority
Most University of Fort Hare students will not have to pay for fee increases next year as “almost 100%” of the students qualify for the announced government subsidy that will pay the fees.
UFH vice-chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom said the announcement by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande on Monday – that students assisted by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and those whose parents earned less than R600000 a year, would be exempt from fee increases next year – would benefit most of Fort Hare’s students.
“This is exactly what happened this year. The University of Fort Hare has almost 100% of its students falling between the NSFAS and missing middle categories.”
Tom further advised students to go back to class as they had already lost time during last week’s and this week’s stayaways.
On Monday, Nzimande announced that all NSFAS-qualifying students, as well as the so-called “missing middle” students whose families earned above the NSFAS threshold but were unable to support their children to access higher education, would experience no fee increase next year.
Government would pay for the fee adjustment.
Meanwhile, an interim interdict prohibiting Walter Sisulu University (WSU) students from assaulting and intimidating staff, disrupting academic activities or damaging and stealing university property was made final in the Grahamstown High Court yesterday
The interdict was not opposed.
There are currently interim or final interdicts prohibiting unlawful behaviour operating at several university campuses across the country, including Rhodes University, University of Cape Town, University of Johannesburg and now WSU.
WSU sought and was granted the urgent interim interdict last month at the height of renewed #FeesMustFall student protests.
WSU registrar Khaya Maphinda said in an affidavit at the time that students at its Mthatha, Butterworth, and East London campuses had engaged in unruly and unlawful conduct.
He said while student anger was because of the actions of the education ministry and proposed fee increases at higher education institutions – over which WSU and other universities had no control or influence – students were directing their fury at WSU, its property, staff and facilities.
“WSU will not tolerate acts of malicious damage to its property – which is after all publicly funded – and acts of intimidation and violence, none of which are lawful.”
He said they had a duty to protect staff, students and property from harm.
Grahamstown High Court Judge Judith Roberson granted the application.
WSU spokesman Thando Cezula could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Rhodes University students waited for a vice-chancellor’s staff forum meeting late yesterday afternoon before deciding on a way forward.
At the forum meeting, vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela said university funds were severely stretched as a result of dwindling government subsidies and increased enrolments that had doubled over the last 20 years.
He said everybody at Rhodes needed to work together to come up with solutions that allowed deserving, needy students to access free higher education and not people who could afford to pay increased fees for quality tuition.
Infrastructure, finance and operations head Dr Iain L’Ange explained how the university was owed R144-million in outstanding fees saying this was impacting on cashflow.
He said the university needed R57-million a month to operate and there was just more than a month’s worth of money currently in their bank account.
After the meeting, students gathered on the Drostdy lawns for a student representative council (SRC) meeting to discuss a way forward.
Students were told the SRC had taken a stance that higher education should be free and that the meeting was being held to get a directive from constituents.
SRC vice-president Zweli Hlatshwayo said they were busy consulting student leaders at other Eastern Cape universities to do something as a collective as the issue was a national one.
Students at the meeting objected to media being present and reporting their strategies.
In Port Elizabeth, students shut down the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) yesterday as acting vice-chancellor Dr Sibongile Muthwa endorsed the fight for free tertiary education for the poor.
Muthwa spoke to protesting students at NMMU’s south campus yesterday afternoon.
Hours later it was announced that the university would be closed today and tomorrow. — Additional reporting by Devon Koen
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