‘What can we do to assist students with fees?’ – Black Coffee

After the dramatic events on Wednesday during the Wits University students protest, celebrities have offered a helping hand to students who need financial assistance.

Wits students embarked on protest action against the exclusion of indebted students and the start of lectures on Monday despite more than 8,000 students not yet registered due to their outstanding debts with the university.

One man was shot and killed, allegedly by police. The bystander succumbed to his injuries after being shot twice with rubber bullets.

He apparently had just left a clinic after a doctor’s appointment. As tensions continue to rise, Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande said his department would investigate claims by the students that Wits is financially excluding them.

ALSO READ: Blade Nzimande sends senior team to Wits after protests, death

Popular DJ Black Coffee has offered to help. He suggested on Twitter a fund to tackle financial exclusion in higher education.

As a country what can we do to assist students with fees…isn’t there a way we can collectively create a fund to assist. #FeesMustFall

— Black Coffee (@RealBlackCoffee) March 10, 2021

The Wits SRC wants the university to allow students who owe up to R150,000 to register.

Many people offered ideas and suggestions to Black Coffee. Radio host Moflava said the government needed to do better.

Collective is the key word. Some of us try to put as many people through school as possible but it’s nowhere near enough. Government needs to do better,business needs to step up

— #SuperFlava (@moflavadj) March 11, 2021

Personally I think they need to cut off this social grants, and start contributing free Education for the poor.. The R350 that people are receiving right now, someone need that money for school transport, to pay Res ect.

— Madira_Maila (@Madira49253206) March 11, 2021

Problem is that y’all looking for “excellent academic” instead the majority is average. Help the average students who want to study. Yes I agree the deserving are the excellent but what about the average. They are the one that are struggling the most some get in uni but most dont

— LLUUKKEEZZ (@LLUUKKEEZZ) March 10, 2021

Here are some other reactions from celebs:

Really it’s stand up and get murdered! That’s it. Now they’ll get a minister to say some sh*t to distract us from the fact that they are out to silence us forever and the police are happy to oblige because what’s an oath to the people when I have a gun. Siyaqedwa???? #witsprotest

— #FireInTheGhetto (@KwestaDaKAR) March 10, 2021

Doesn’t matter if he was a student or not. He’s a murdered human being. Like???

— AKA (@akaworldwide) March 10, 2021

The sad thing is that no one will be held accountable for this. And promises of free eduction were made ????#witsprotest

— Dr Tumi (@DrTumi_) March 10, 2021

READ NEXT: Mboweni apologises for tweet after bystander killed during Wits protest

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