University students march to NSFAS offices over lack of funding

Cape Town, 24 May 2023: Students from various universities across South Africa marched from the CPUT (Cape Peninsula University Of Technology) campus in District Six to the offices of NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme). The students are protesting various issues from the introduction of direct payments to vendors and the reduction of funding to students enrolled in courses which constitute less than 60 credits. Okuhle April, chairperson of the SRC (Student’s Representative Council) at the University of the Free State said students have been waiting for months for their appeals for funding to be resolved and that many female students have been subjected to situations where they are being blackmailed into offering sexual favours to vendors when they are unable to pay for services when funding doesn’t com through. Various universities across South Africa have recently been rocked by protests over funding. Less the two weeks ago CPUT closed all its campuses and vacated student residences and moved to online lectures.