Students March Against Unfair Defunding and System Failures. Source image: SASCo
(The Post News)- The South African Students’ Congress (SASCO) is said to have initiated a protest this morning from Marabastraat to the Department of Higher Education and Training in Pretoria. Referred to as the “Mega Total Shutdown,” the protest aims to fight against NSFAS’s unfair defunding of students.
The protest addresses several concerns, including NSFAS’s failure to make payments to private accommodations. Thuto Mashila, SASCO’s National Spokesperson, revealed to SAFM morning news that NSFAS’s consistent system failures have affected students’ academic performance. Despite initial funding approval, students are defunded mid-academic year, resulting in some losing accommodations and essential services like transportation.
Students are forced to use minimal living allowances to settle rent, which often remains unpaid since the previous year. Additionally, TVET colleges face infrastructure limitations, including delayed PTEs hindering practical completion and a shortage of lecturers.
The protest calls for NSFAS and the minister to halt academic activities until demands are met, including processing payments to private accommodations and centralizing NSFAS. Mashila emphasizes that localized offices on campuses would greatly assist students, as current issues often require assistance from NSFAS headquarters in Cape Town.
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