Johannesburg - IOL understands the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) has suspended three Student Representative Council (SRC) members and one student, following protest action against the institution.
“The president general and secretary general of the SRC together with the chairman of Oral health and one student have been issued with notices of suspension from the university for the genuine student mass demonstration about the four-months delayed NSFAS allowances,” the SRC confirmed.
JUST IN: Private security hired by SMU instead of releasing allowances is harassing and brutalising unarmed peaceful students. Students are being beaten and bullied @KayaNews @KayaON959 pic.twitter.com/VkjOPcUVmz
— SMU SRC 2022/23 (@SMU_SRC) April 6, 2023
The situation at the university has been tense since the private security hired by SMU has allegedly been harassing, bullying and beating unarmed students who merely want food.
“Private security hired by SMU instead of releasing allowances is harassing and brutalising unarmed peaceful students. Students are being beaten and bullied,” the SRC said.
The frustrated students staged a protest yesterday outside the university gates as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) failed to provide students with meal, tuition and book allowances for since the beginning of the academic year.
The SRC president, Thato Masekoa, told IOL that the security guards have been brutally abusing students for no reason and nothing is done by the management.
He said about 248 students at the university have been awaiting allowances.
Speaking on the issue of meals, Masekoa said the university lent students R1 000 each for the duration of the four months and topped it up by R400 yesterday amid the protest.
NSFAS confirmed in a statement that it had resolved most of the outstanding matters from 2022 with universities and payment would be forthcoming.
"NSFAS has received registration data from universities and will be making payments against this data by April 7," the statement said.
Masekoa said NSFAS has lied to students since January to date and that nothing can be trusted from them.
He stated about 248 students at the university have been awaiting allowances and nothing is done.
"Until we see the funds, that’s when we will believe that it’s real,” he added.
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