Students have higher education minister on-side against University of Fort Hare

The Student Representative Council (SRC) at the University of Fort Hare is accusing the university’s management of delaying the resolution of students’ problems. Since the start of the academic year, sporadic protests have erupted at the university with students protesting against lack of accommodation, problems with registration, outstanding allowances and financial exclusion.

Prompted by the volatile situation on university campuses around the country, the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, has embarked on oversight visits to institutions of higher learning. Yesterday, she made a stop at the University of Fort Hare in Alice.

President of the SRC at Fort Hare, Aphelele Khalakahla said they hope that the visit by the minister will bear fruit for the students. “There has been a lot of back and forth with the university in trying to resolve matters such as registration for students and accommodation, but we are hopeful now that the minister has come these issues will be resolved. We are awaiting implementation as she has already instructed that provisionally-funded Nsfas applicants must be registered and accommodated.”

Khalakahla said more than 2,000 student have not been able to register, including those left with only one module. “Another issue that was touched on, which brings relief, is that of final-year students and post-graduates. The minister has instructed the university to allow these students to register; she suggested various processes including recommendations from their research principal,” he said.

Students who were accommodated off-campus have been complaining that they can’t afford it and have been forced to share rooms with other students, which risks being kicked out of the room as it is not permitted by the institution. “The minister has agreed today that their funding must be increased,” said the SRC president. Minister Nkabane also instructed the institution to allow students that are doing their second year in masters or PHD programmes to register – regardless of their debt.

Elitsha previously reported that students at the East London campus were protesting the R30,000 debt threshold (R50,000 for postgraduate students).

SRC president at the East London campus, Zolisa Billy Klass said he is not happy that there was no immediate solution to all the issues faced by students. “Not all issues were responded to and unfortunately the minister could not be interrogated because she made closing remarks which were binding,” he said. The academic exclusion of students is one unresolved question as affected students were granted five days to appeal following a technical glitch. Klass said the university should be able to respond to appellants immediately.

Recent protest at the University of Fort Hare, East London campus. Photo by Chwayita Dinginto

The department’s media liaison officer, Camagwini Mavovano confirmed that the minister was made aware of all the burning issues and had attended to them. “Yes the minister was made aware of all the grievances, including grievances relating to academic exclusion, infrastructure challenges, offsite accommodation and funding problems, registration of final year students, book allowances, increase in non-residence allowance.

“The minister had given the university’s management five days to come up with a plan to solve issues faced by hundreds of students at the institution,” said Mavovano. She said the minister was made aware of the technical glitch which affected students’ appeals against academic exclusion, and affirmed that the university should give an opportunity to all to appeal against their exclusion.

Mavovano said the minister had observed that the University of Fort Hare doesn’t engage students. “Dr Nkabane told the university’s management that the department was against exclusion of students, especially those who had one or two outstanding modules to complete their studies. She has given the university’s vice chancellor five days to furnish the department with an implementation plan and report on how he has managed to address these issues.”