MOSSEL BAY NEWS - South Cape College demonstrations this week turned violent, with hundreds of angry students continuing their protest actions on the Mossel Bay campus.
On Tuesday, 25 February, the Public Order Police Unit (POPS) were deployed to the area in Essenhout Street and teargas had to be used to disperse the frustrated crowd.
Three students were arrested after property was damaged and on Wednesday, 26 February, students gathered in front of the Mossel Bay Magistrate's Court, where three suspects made a brief court appearance on charges relating to public violence and malicious damage to property.
This follows demonstrations by students at various South Cape TVET Colleges, who are protesting because they have not received their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) bursary grants.
NSFAS is a government entity under the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology and provides financial support to disadvantaged students who wish to further their studies at public universities or TVET colleges.
Can't pay landlords
Students told the Mossel Bay Advertiser they now do not have money for their rent and stand the risk of being expelled by their landlords.
"We come from Port Elizabeth and the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape provinces and we came here expecting that we would get paid by NSFAS. "We don't have money for food, transport or toiletries. We also don't have money for textbooks."
The students said there was a list with the names of students who would get paid by NSAFS as well as the amount, that did the rounds around the Mossel Bay campus. "Where is our privacy and how can such a list be distributed among fellow students?"
Students say they were promised they would get paid on 13 February, "but nothing happened and we waited for their next agreement which was on 21 February and once again we did not get our money".
They allege that the college says there is outstanding documentation and that students will only get paid if they hand in the correct documents.
Questions raised about registration process
However, students told the Advertiser they completed the whole registration process and were allowed to go to each new step with the documents that they provided until they were classified as registered students. "How come they now say we did not complete all the documentation, if we were allowed and we got registered?"
Meanwhile, South Cape College principal, Elsie Potgieter, released a statement in which she states an agreement had been reached between the management of the South Cape College and student representatives.
According to the agreement, an interim payment was paid on Friday, 21 February, to students who meet certain requirements. Potgieter said the second payment would be made, as scheduled, on 5 March. She says students were requested to submit their outstanding documentation required for the NSFAS bursary allowances. Potgieter notes in the statement that the challenge remains that the NSFAS status of bursaries "funded" changes daily based on the verification of bursary application data at NSFAS. She requested that students who have not received allowances, check the progress of their bursary application on their NSFAS profiles.
But, Mossel Bay students say they are now stuck far away from their homes, without any money for daily necessities.
"And we will continue to strike until we get heard."
The students that appeared in court were released on free bail and will have to be back in court on 27 March.
Classes have been suspended for most part of the week and some students who did receive their money say they are also angry and frustrated because of the college shutdown.
Previous articles:
- Students released after brief appearance in court
- Protesting students aggressive
- Students stage protest action
- Update: South Cape College students' protest
- South Cape College students still protesting
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