Wits SRC wants Nzimande, Manamela to resign over failure to tackle historic debt

Wits University's student representative council (SRC) says higher education minister Dr Blade Nzimande and his deputy Buti Manamela should resign for their failure to tackle the years-long issue of historic debt affecting tertiary students.

The body made these remarks at a press briefing on Saturday morning amid ongoing protests at the institution which began earlier this week.

SRC president Aphiwe Mnyamana, flanked by fellow members and National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) branch secretary Thabo Modise, led a media briefing aimed at outlining their issues in detail and dispelling “misinformation”.

On Friday, workers affiliated to Nehawu joined the protest to highlight their issues.

While most of the briefing focused on the issues affecting students, Mnyamana also used it to fire a broadside at Nzimande and Manamela over their failure to adequately address historic debt and the financial exclusion of students every year.

“Historic debt ... is a concern. Every year, we see institutions protesting. Hence as the SRC we say Blade Nzimande and Buti Manamela must resign because there is something wrong which they are doing.

He said the issue came up every year.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula also came under attack, with Mnyamana calling him out for saying “underperforming students” should not use politics to “justify failure”.

He said it was problematic for Mbalula to say “that we [SRC] are poor-performing students”.

“At Wits, for you to be an SRC member you must have an average of 60% if you are an undergrad. You must have an average of 65% if you are postgrad. So all SRC members at Wits are performing well.”

Mnyamana vowed that protests would continue until their demands were met. He said they would make Wits ungovernable until it became student-friendly.

Chaos ensued at the university on Wednesday when students blocked the main entrance in protest. Shops were forced to close, roads were blocked and infrastructure was damaged in Braamfontein. 

Students are calling for an end to the exclusion of those with historic debt, for the cap on residence allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to be scrapped and for the lack of accommodation to be rectified.

Wits has threatened legal action against the SRC if it doesn't stop the violent protests.  It confirmed that several “disrupters” had been suspended.