Higher Education Minister engages with Fort Hare staff and students

Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane has urged the University of Fort Hare to devise strategies to accommodate the unfunded students.

The minister visited the Eastern Cape University, which has many unregistered students due to outstanding debts.

Dr Nkabane also received a damning report about the state of affairs at Fort Hare.

Currently, the University of Fort Hare has R1.5 billion in student debt.

The Alice campus has a population of 11,000 students, but can only accommodate 6,000 students. Some of the student residences lack the necessary equipment such as fridges and stoves.

The minister has urged the institution to ensure that the provisionally funded students receive the financial support.

“We agreed that we are going to give them five days to do a proper analysis of those issues. Because we don’t want to exclude students, especially those who got one or two outstanding modules for them to be able to complete those degrees, as well as those who are post graduate students. Because we want to invest in research and development so that we are in a position to address socio-economic position we are facing as a country,” says the minister.

A process is underway to iron out all the these issues, says Fort Hare University Vice Chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu.

“On Friday, the SRC Management forum sits here to deal with these issues. So, what we will be communicating with the minister will be an outcome of these discussions. So, all of this falls into place because there is no big deal,” says Buhlungu.

SRC President, Aphelele Khalakahla is optimistic about finding a lasting solution for the students.

“Should they be implemented it, it’s a victory, because now we will see the cancellation of debt. We see final year students being registered, PGCE and Honours, etc. being registered. But l am still saying I’m yet to see the implementation because the implementation side is what is lacking,” says Khalakahla.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme will establish a task team to work with the university to resolve the infrastructure challenges at Fort Hare University.