Classes disrupted following strike at CS Barlow Campus
MOTETEMA– Teaching and learning was adversely affected at the CS Barlow Campus of the Sekhukhune TVET College in Motetema outside Groblersdal on Tuesday.
This after students at the college continued with a protest action they embarked on since Monday when they demanded answers on the stoppage of the NASFAS allowances received by students doing trimester and semester courses.
According to the students the allowances were stopped without any prior information and they still are in the dark of what caused the stoppage.
The students said they embarked on the protest action to get answers from the college management on why the allowance was stopped.
However, Abickey Kgolane, Sekhukhune TVET College Marketing Officer, said the college was not involved in the relationship between NSFAS and its beneficiaries.
Kgolane further said that details of the allowances received by qualifying students from NSFAS were known to the beneficiaries and not the college.
“The college does not even know anything about the amounts the qualifying students get from NSFAS. Every student knows how much they get and they have their own pin numbers which are not known to the college. We are also surprised as them as to why their allowances were not received,” said Kgolane.
He added that the peaceful protest action by students disrupted learning and teaching at the college on Tuesday.
“There were no acts of violence or damage to property. The protests were peaceful and we experienced no chaos,” informed Kgolane.
The students, comprising the EFF Student Command, SASCO and Sekhukhune Express Student Movement, vowed to continue with the protests until they get answers from the college management on why the allowances were not received.
Meanwhile, some of the students residing at rented rooms remain frustrated as their landlords threaten them with evictions for nonpayment.
“Our fellow students renting rooms are suffering as a result, they can’t buy groceries and pay rent. We need something in black and white which proves that it is indeed NSFAS which stopped the allowances. We contacted NSFAS and they denied knowledge of the stoppage of the allowances,” concluded a student leader who did not want their name published in the paper.
