Student protests: National shutdown of ALL tertiary institutions

All plans are afoot to shutdown the country’s 26 public universities and other institutions of higher learning on Monday, March 15, 2021, as students still await a satisfactory response from government on how it intends to address their grievances.

The South African Union of Students (SAUS) convened a meeting over the weekend, after issuing a list of demands to the Higher Education Ministry. SAUS however is less than pleased with a response from Deputy Minister Buti Manamela.

“SAUS rejects the responses of the Ministry of Higher Education as outlined by the Deputy Minister. We see these responses as a “check box” exercise, unsatisfactory and with no tangible solutions to address the 15 demands submitted. This is also testament to the lack of urgency and commitment by the Ministry to amicably resolve these issues without exposing students to brutal protests,” the student union said.

SAUS has said it would have feet on the ground to ensure that every university takes part the shutdown. It has also warned Vice Chancellors against targeting members of the SRC for following through with enforcing the shutdown.

“The South African Union of Students will be embarking on nation-wide institutional visits to ensure that all universities participate in this shutdown. We take this opportunity to thank all University SRC members for their wisdom and mandate regarding prioritisation of students issues,” the student union further said.

The shutdown is a culmination of week-long protests by Wits University students. They took to the streets to demand that the institution allow students who owe a maximum of R150 000 in historical debt, to register for the academic year. The protests turned fatal in the streets of Braamfontein as Mthokozisi Ntumba, a 35-year-old man was shot dead, allegedly by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS)

National Shutdown: What are students demanding?

• Justice for the death of Mthokozisi Ntumba (which is being probed by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate)
• Free registration for all students during the 2021 academic year
• The registration period in all tertiary institutions to be extended to 30th April
• Financial clearance & the clearance of historical debts for all students
• Government must provide funding for post-graduate qualifications

Other demands include a zero percent fee increase for the current academic year and free quality education for the poor and the missing middle.