By ARETHA LINDEN, MALIBONGWE DAYIMANI and SISIPHO ZAMXAKA
Traces of a violent student protest on Monday evening were still visible in the East London CBD yesterday after Walter Sisulu University students reportedly stoned cars, barricaded roads and lit fires.
The students were protesting over National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) meal and book allowances, which they say have not yet been paid to some of them.
Another 5000 students who are also protesting over NSFAS allocations come from Lovedale and King Hintsa technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges while chances of them writing mid-year exams – supposed to have started on Monday at one college – are dwindling.
Student leader Sabelo Madlala said scores of Lovedale students were starting to drop out and go home.
WSU students said they were angry about not being able to sign their NSFAS loan agreement forms.
The deadline to sign the agreement form is today and according to NSFAS, those who have not signed might lose their funding.
The protest affected the Buffalo City Campus (BCC) which has sites at Chiselhurst, Potsdam, College Street and Cambridge Street, as well as the Heritage and Absa Stadium.
Students yesterday raised the theme, “A hungry student is an angry student,” which quickly circulated on social media.
Motorists also used social media to warn of barricaded roads and “no-go” areas, mostly in the Southernwood area.
Some motorists claimed their cars were pelted with stones. Police were called to the scenes but no arrests were reported.
The morning “after the storm”, motorists found it hard to navigate through cement slabs, poles and the remains of fires on Oxford, St James and King streets.
Student service officer Samkelo Mqayi accused the university of delaying the injection of NSFAS allowances into students’ accounts.
“We are approaching exam time on empty stomachs. It is tough enough to study and having to study on empty stomachs is pure torture,” Mqayi said.
He said only 2000 out of 5000 BCC-approved students for NSFAS had received their allowance. “Some have signed their loan agreement forms but have not received funding.”
NSFAS did not respond to questions.
WSU spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo confirmed the delay in payment of allowances but said it was because students had not signed agreement forms.
“NSFAS will not pay the allowances until students have signed the forms. These forms are loaded by NSFAS. Our role as a university is to encourage students to sign but the agreement is between students and NSFAS. This is part of the new student-centred model introduced by NSFAS.”
Mqayi said a meeting between BCC management yesterday yielded no results. “We are not going back to our classes, we will continue with the protest.”
He said the exams were chaotic and students did not know if they were writing or not.
Some students wrote their first exam and then decided to give in.
—sisiphoz@dispatch.co.za/ arethal@dispatch.co.za/ malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
DAY OF PROTESTS: ‘Hungry, angry’ students let rip
Traces of a violent student protest on Monday evening were still visible in the East London CBD yesterday after Walter Sisulu University students reportedly stoned cars, barricaded roads and lit fires.
The students were protesting over National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) meal and book allowances, which they say have not yet been paid to some of them.
Another 5000 students who are also protesting over NSFAS allocations come from Lovedale and King Hintsa technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges while chances of them writing mid-year exams – supposed to have started on Monday at one college – are dwindling.
Student leader Sabelo Madlala said scores of Lovedale students were starting to drop out and go home.
WSU students said they were angry about not being able to sign their NSFAS loan agreement forms.
The deadline to sign the agreement form is today and according to NSFAS, those who have not signed might lose their funding.
The protest affected the Buffalo City Campus (BCC) which has sites at Chiselhurst, Potsdam, College Street and Cambridge Street, as well as the Heritage and Absa Stadium.
Students yesterday raised the theme, “A hungry student is an angry student,” which quickly circulated on social media.
Motorists also used social media to warn of barricaded roads and “no-go” areas, mostly in the Southernwood area.
Some motorists claimed their cars were pelted with stones. Police were called to the scenes but no arrests were reported.
The morning “after the storm”, motorists found it hard to navigate through cement slabs, poles and the remains of fires on Oxford, St James and King streets.
Student service officer Samkelo Mqayi accused the university of delaying the injection of NSFAS allowances into students’ accounts.
“We are approaching exam time on empty stomachs. It is tough enough to study and having to study on empty stomachs is pure torture,” Mqayi said.
He said only 2000 out of 5000 BCC-approved students for NSFAS had received their allowance. “Some have signed their loan agreement forms but have not received funding.”
NSFAS did not respond to questions.
WSU spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo confirmed the delay in payment of allowances but said it was because students had not signed agreement forms.
“NSFAS will not pay the allowances until students have signed the forms. These forms are loaded by NSFAS. Our role as a university is to encourage students to sign but the agreement is between students and NSFAS. This is part of the new student-centred model introduced by NSFAS.”
Mqayi said a meeting between BCC management yesterday yielded no results. “We are not going back to our classes, we will continue with the protest.”
He said the exams were chaotic and students did not know if they were writing or not.
Some students wrote their first exam and then decided to give in.
—sisiphoz@dispatch.co.za/ arethal@dispatch.co.za/ malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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