Wits University says academic programme will continue, despite student protests

Wits University says the academic programme at the institution will continue as scheduled, after students took to the streets on Wednesday, to protest over accommodation and registration fees, among other issues.

The students protested on Empire Road, outside of the university’s Yale Road North entrance.

Wits University protests

Wits University said campus protection services were managing the protests. It urged staff and students to avoid the Yale Road North entrance and to use alternative entrances to access the university.

Dear Wits Staff & Students,

Please avoid using Yale Road North (Empire Road) this morning, use alternative entrances. Campus Protection Services is on the ground managing the situation.

— Wits University (@WitsUniversity) March 1, 2023

The institution’s senior executive team said it was committed to ensuring that staff and students were safe.

“Additional security has been brought in to enable access to Wits’ campuses for staff and students, and to ensure that staff and students are safe and that the academic programme continues,” the senior executive team said in a statement.

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The senior executive team also said it was committed to enabling students to access higher education, as far as its resources allow. 

It said it had progressively increased the amount of funding allocated to students, and disbursed over R1.6 billion to 26 161 students last year.

Academically deserving students

The university added that it had been working with the Student Representative Council (SRC) over the past few weeks to help secure funding, largely from the private sector, to enable academically deserving students to access higher education.

“In fact, up until last night [Tuesday], officials were in contact with the SRC trying to get as many qualifying students to register as possible. 

“It, therefore, comes as a surprise that despite these arrangements and the working relationship which has been established, that some members of the SRC and some students have elected to protest.

“Wits has matched the R6.2 million brought in by the SRC, rand for rand. In effect, there is a pot of R12.4 million available in the SRC Fund for qualifying students.”

Registration update

To date, over 36 200 (96%) of Wits’ students had registered for the 2023 academic year, with postgraduate intakes set to continue throughout the year, according to the senior executive team.

The university further said it had secured 350 beds from accredited private accommodation service providers to assist students in need, including those that were sleeping in libraries and other spaces. 

“In 2023 alone, the university has committed R28 million (up from R10 million) to the Wits Hardship Find, to assist academically deserving students to register and to secure emergency accommodation, in line with the rules of the fund and resources permitting. To date over 500 students have been funded at a cost of R18.1 million.

“This is over and above the R150 million that the university provides in scholarships to deserving students annually.”

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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