Zuko Komisa

Wits University students are on hunger strike in protest of financial exclusion owing to prior debt.
Students have been camping at the institution’s SRC boardroom since last Friday, hoping that the university will respond positively to their registration request.
The registration period for returning undergraduate and postgraduate students began on 2 January and ended on 9 February 2025.
The institution also reported spending over R180 million on student scholarships and R28 million from a hardship fund for registration and emergency housing, allowing 26 099 students to pursue higher education.
To date, 25 200 undergraduates and 12 098 postgraduate students have successfully registered, and postgraduate registrations will continue throughout the year.
Despite 95% of students successfully registering, returning students are protesting financial restrictions. The institution expects students to have a debt of less than R10 000 or pay half of what they owe.
Point of View with Phemelo: Wits University Spokesperson Shirona Patel stated that the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is in talks with the Student Representative Council (SRC) to find a solution for unregistered students who have been on a five-day hunger strike.
Listen to the full conversation here:
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