Unisa SRC rejects increment, prepares for total shutdown

21 September 2016

Pretoria - The SRC at Unisa has rejected the announcement by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande recommending a fee increment, and has asked students to prepare themselves for a shutdown.

"It's our educated view that this announcement by the minister of higher education is the most egregious abuse of students' rights. It's calamitous and can by no means be digested," Unisa SRC secretary general Buyisile Njokweni told reporters on Wednesday.

Njokweni said "the call to down tools is imminent and unavoidable", but that students should make time to catch up on their studies.

"I mean the education physical tools will be put down during the day and picked up in the evenings so we don't lose track of knowledge and wisdom."

Njokweni said, in the meantime, they would wait for an announcement by the university council for a 0% increment. Any increase would see students taking to the streets.

"In due course, we will make a call on all Unisa students everywhere in the country, in all nine provinces to shut down every Unisa regional centre. Let us not shut down as yet," he said.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.