THE president of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Keamogetswe Masike, led a protest at the institution's main campus gate in Pretoria West on Monday, 10 July.
He said they had spoken to the university and it couldn't be business as usual because many students were at home suffering.
The students want the issue of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) fixed following reports of students who did not receive their meal allowances allegedly due to a rushed process of Nsfas direct payment.
"It cannot be correct a process of this nature if it's credible and legit. It's rushed. We have said on many occasions that the university must write a letter of exemption to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, asking that can the process be paused until everyone is educated about it.
"Currently, many students are at home. They are hungry as they have not received their meal allowances for June, July and potentially August. We are not fighting the university, but putting pressure on the institution so that they can put pressure on Nzimande," he said.
He said their interest was to see students receiving allowances on time.
"We are already in revolution. The gates are closed and if our demands are not met, the gates will remain closed," he said.
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Masike said they're asking the university's vice-chancellor, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, to arrange a meeting with relevant people in the minister's office or Nzimande himself.
He said that all six campuses are closed around the country.
TUT's spokeswoman Phaphama Tshisikhawe said: "We wish to inform staff members that there are sporadic student protests. In light of these, we, therefore, advise our staff members at the Soshanguve, Polokwane and Pretoria-based campuses to work from home today."
She said in late 2022 and 2023, Nsfas informed all universities of their intention to pay student allowances directly to all Nsfas-funded students.
"On 1 July 2023, Nsfas started implementing the direct payment system. Until then, Nsfas had channelled student allowance payments through the financial divisions of all universities.
"It has come to our knowledge that several individual students, as well as student organisations, have written to Nsfas and the higher education ministry expressing concerns and grievances about the Nsfas direct payment system," she said.
Tshisikhawe said in an apparent protest of the new Nsfas payment system, students blocked entrances to some of their campuses.
She said the university is working closely with the affected students, their organisations, and Nsfas to find a sustainable solution.
