No incidents as university registration kicks off

HUNDREDS of late applicants were expected to flock to Universities and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges following the President Jacob Zuma’s announcement that poor first-year students would have their fees subsidized. A call by the Economic Freedom Fighters for matrics to arrive at universities and demand free education also increased fears of a repeat of a 2012 incident where in a desperate attempt to claim a place at university for her child, a mother was crushed to death in a stampede at the gates of the University of Johannesburg’s Bunting Road campus.

At the Durban University of Technology (DUT), prospective students who had come to walk-in as part of the late applicants, were met by a no-walk-in notice at the Steve Biko campus entrance which stated that admissions were closed.

ALSO READ: Students warned not to fall victim to registration scam

According DUT’s communications manager, Noxolo Memela the university was not accepting walk-in students and the admission office was only working on its selection list of candidates who had confirmed offers.

“Where influx and security measures are concerned, there are special security personnel at our registration venues and all entrances, to ensure a smooth registration period,” she said.

At the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard campus, some prospective students were fortunate as the University was allowing walk-in applications.

“The university has received some walk-in applications which are being captured and processed as late applications.The majority of the programmes and courses are now fully subscribed and closed for further applications. However, as standard procedure, the university has a process in place to fill spaces that may be available in under-subscribed courses,” said Normah Zondo, the acting executive director: corporate relations division at UKZN.

The Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela also met with the EFF Student Command on Monday as part of the Departments ongoing engagement with stakeholders within the higher education and training sector.

“We reiterated that online applications remain the primary method for applications, however certain institutions have set up mechanisms for late applications.We also recommended that prospective students should still use the Central Applications Clearing House (CACH) for late applications. The DHET also clarified that no registration fees were to be paid upfront for students at TVET colleges and Universities who qualify for NSFAS funding. Students who do not qualify for NSFAS funding will have to pay the registration fees upfront,” said Manamela.

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