Wits

Scores of students at Wits University have shut the main entrance to the campus due to protests against "financial exclusion and lack of accommodation."

“We have a crisis of students who are homeless and sleeping in libraries and the university is taking them out but is struggling to give them beds. In 2022, Wits disbursed over R1.6bn to 26,161 students,” it said. But those who do not qualify to receive funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) are left homeless, Matloga said. “Some students owe more than R100,000 so that means the fund cannot help them as they will still have outstanding debt. 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.— Thuls 🇮🇹 (@ttmbele) Scores of Wits University students have shut the main entrance to the campus in protest against “financial exclusion and lack of accommodation”.

Wits University spokesperson Shirona Patel says academic activities continued as normal on Wednesday amid the ongoing student protests.

NSFAS won’t fund them because they haven’t been passing and they now asking to university to fund all students with debt which is just not sustainable.” “All students owing R150 000 or less should be allowed to register for the 2023 Academic Year. What they (SRC) are talking about is debt that had been accumulated over years.” “The university must allocate an additional R30 Million towards hardship accommodation in order to secure more beds for homeless students. The R10 000 upfront fee for Wits Residences should be waivered, and for students to be allowed to move in. The SRC wants all students to be allowed to register for the new academic year.

Students of Wits University in Johannesburg have embarked on a shutdown of the campus over tuition fees, Mach 1. They are reportedly demanding, ...

Avoid the protest. If clashes occur, leave the area immediately. Heightened security is likely near the protest.

Wits University says the academic programme at the institution will continue as scheduled on Wednesday. despite student protests.

To date over 500 students have been funded at a cost of R18.1 million. In effect, there is a pot of R12.4 million available in the SRC Fund for qualifying students.” “In 2023 alone, the university has committed R28 million (up from R10 million) to the Wits Hardship Find, to assist academically deserving students to register and to secure emergency accommodation, in line with the rules of the fund and resources permitting. “Additional security has been brought in to enable access to Wits’ campuses for staff and students, and to ensure that staff and students are safe and that the academic programme continues,” the senior executive team said in a The institution’s senior executive team said it was committed to ensuring that staff and students were safe. It urged staff and students to avoid the Yale Road North entrance and to use alternative entrances to access the university.

Wits students have protested over student accommodation and high fees. · The protesters blocked off one of the campus entrances on Wednesday morning.

It, therefore, comes as a surprise that despite these arrangements and the working relationship which has been established, some members of the SRC and some students have elected to protest." It’s for all students who cannot afford the 10k to move in at residence. It’s for all students who have to pay crazy top ups in Braamfontein.

Lectures at Wits University were disrupted by student protests on Wednesday. Students are calling for an end to financial exclusion, the cap on residence ...

The university and private service providers are also navigating NSFAS’s decision to cap accommodation costs at R45,000 per annum, which is regrettable,” they said. “The university has secured 350 beds from accredited private accommodation service providers to assist students in need, including those that have been sleeping in libraries and other spaces. Meanwhile, the university’s senior executive team said in a statement that the decision by the SRC and students to protest came as a surprise as they are working with them to resolve the issues.

The SRC said some of the students have been sleeping in libraries, corridors and laboratories as they have no accommodation.

The University said it was doing all it can within their means to assist students, be it through funding students, fundraising from various sectors, and administering financial aid, bursaries and scholarships. “It’s for all students who have to pay crazy top-ups in Braamfontein. “Wits appealed the decision and lobbied for a differentiated approach that takes the real cost of accommodation into account. It’s for all students who cannot afford the R10k to move in at residence. “The protest is for all students who haven’t registered due to financial exclusion. It’s for all students who are expected to attend class on an empty stomach because they haven’t received allowances.

Protesting Wits University students say they cannot afford afford tuition and residence fees. The students are currently protesting on campus and earlier ...

They come to Wits thinking that they can get a degree and better their families. Speaking to SABC News, one of the protesting students, who introduced himself as Lesego says, “The protest is about the SRC fighting for students who cannot register, because the institution is financially excluding them. “What happens to those student who come from places like Lusikisiki?

Wits students have served the institution with a notice, demanding that all students owing R150,000 or less be allowed to register for the 2023 academic ...

The demands include the ability to register for all students who owe R150 000 or less, the waiver of the R10 000 upfront fee for Wits Residences, and the ...

“We have been working with the SRC for the past few weeks in order to fundraise so that students who qualify can access the institution. Wits SRC member Karabo Matloga says some of the students are sleeping in libraries and bathrooms due to a lack of accommodation. “We are in need of R30 million additional towards accommodation to address the crisis that we are facing, especially since NFSAS has been failing us for years.

Students at Wits University are protesting in a shutdown initiated by their SRC over NSFAS accommodation caps and financial exclusion.

“The university and private service providers are also navigating NSFAS’s decision to cap accommodation costs at R45,000 per annum, which is regrettable. [In a statement](https://twitter.com/wits_src/status/1630792826081484801?s=12&t=weBUmadTED39aLB55X7kow), the SRC claimed the university was in a “state of emergency” because of ongoing issues related to housing and financial exclusion. “Currently, they have introduced a R45,000 cap, which is below the bare minimum and is inadequate to provide to students in dire need. Up until last night, officials were in contact with the SRC trying to get as many qualifying students to register as possible. Wits has matched the R6.2-million brought in by the SRC rand for rand. The SRC encouraged students to not engage in academic activity and [said](https://twitter.com/Wits_SRC/status/1630795420958879744) it “cannot be business as usual”. [The SRC noted](https://twitter.com/Wits_SRC/status/1630818359917912064) that many students were without housing and sleeping in libraries because they cannot afford university residences. Another issue raised by the SRC is students being unable to register because of debt. These students are being assisted on a daily basis as beds become available. In effect, there is a pot of R12.4-million available in the SRC fund for qualifying students.” Students at Wits University are protesting in a shutdown initiated by their SRC over NSFAS accommodation caps and financial exclusion. She told Daily Maverick: “Every year students are unfairly discriminated against based on differences in socioeconomic backgrounds.

Wits University students have vowed to continue with their protests over financial exclusion, historical debt and lack of funding.

These are some of the assertions that were made by student activists leading this year's protest outside the institution yesterday.

However, I feel that there has not been a plan of action to resolve these matters, and it is just promises upon promises," Mdluli said. We are speaking about a university that is known for being a word peddler that has promised to do something. We feel that the university can solve the crisis that we are facing, especially since NSFAS has been failing us for years."

The SRC wants all students to be allowed to register for the new academic year. Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel says the institution has received complaints of ...

These will be channelled to the appropriate leaders via Universities South Africa and other fora.” Should you experience any intimidation, please report it to CPS via mafihla.” “The Dean of Student Affairs is engaging with student leaders at present to try to address some of the demands.

Wits University is investigating complaints of intimidation of security staff and damage to property during a student protest on Wednesday.

These will be channelled to the appropriate leaders via Universities South Africa and other fora," it said. However, a number of the issues raised are systemic issues which need to be addressed at the national level. Wits University is investigating complaints of intimidation of security staff and damage to property during a student protest on Wednesday.

Wits University students continue their protest against financial exclusion and lack of accommodation.

The protest by Wits University students has become chaotic, with groups turning violent as they move between campuses.

Some protesting University of the Witwatersrand students turned to violence as they moved between campuses in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Students from Wits University took to the streets again on Thursday to protest against financial exclusion, historical debt and a lack of funding.

“The intersection of Empire and Yale Road at Wits University in Braamfontein is blocked off to traffic with burning tyres, rocks and buses due to protest action by students. On Wednesday a group of students disrupted classes and blocked various entrances to the university. Students from Wits University took to the streets again on Thursday to protest against financial exclusion, historical debt and a lack of funding.

Financial exclusion, accommodation allowance limits, non-payment of books and food allowances are at the centre of protests at the.

“We have students who sleep in the SRC office. “A lot of students will not be able to register if we do not take this drastic action. To Subscribe to Sunday World, [click here](https://subs.arena.africa/#!/offer/411?utm_source=promo411&utm_medium=Circ) “The university insisted that all students must return to campus and yet there’s not enough beds to accommodate all the students. We are the first port of call for students with any challenge they have on campus, but we are not able to assist all those in need,” he said. “The management didn’t agree to this, saying the university has a ‘hardship fund’, but the fund is not accessible to all, because students have to meet certain criteria to qualify for the fund.

Aggrieved Wits University students took to the streets again on Thursday, blocking roads with rocks, intimidating motorists and damaging public property.

Students’ frustration has reached a point that we said this is the only last resort we could take as students because now black students are affected,” he told the radio station. “There are so many students that are sleeping in libraries, there are so many students that are sleeping in toilets, now we say those students should not be left behind.” “There are thousands of students that do not have accommodation, there are thousands that are still not registered and are out of the system …