DASO champions long term solutions to recurring student challenges at NWU Mahikeng

9 March 2022

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite in English by Gavin Edwards MPL.

The Democratic Alliance Student Organization (DASO) in North West notes with concern the disruptions that took place at the North West University (NWU) Mahikeng Campus yesterday.

We condemn any form of violence and destruction to property. Previous violent protests at the Mahikeng Campus have proven to be setbacks rather than gains and valuable lessons can be drawn from them.

As in the past, the majority of enrolled students just want to attend classes and study towards their graduation, but their right to education are undermined by a minority of politically aligned-student formations that thrive on radical and violent protest.

We believe that some of the concerns raised by students are genuine, and some could have been avoided through adequate preparation for the academic year. DASO urge all stakeholders to get back to the negotiating table and discuss concerns in good faith to find solutions, with regular briefings on developments and decisions reached communicated to the student body.

While there are many challenges that tertiary institutions must face, many of these obstacles to learning stem from government’s interference, lack of funding and politicisation of student concerns.

DASO is working towards long term solutions that would benefit both students and tertiary education institutions. Some of these include:

- Improving the management of the National Students Financial Assistance Scheme (NSFAS) to ensure that payments of funding and allowances to beneficiaries and the tertiary institutions happen when they should. This would go a long way to address issues around registration and issuing of degrees and results;
- Revamping the student funding model in its entirety so that no eligible student is denied the right to higher education. To ensure adequate and fair tertiary education funding in South Africa, we should implement a student loan system where commercial banks to extend full or partial government-backed loans according to household income. The loan becomes payable when a graduate secures employment, earning above a defined threshold, with capped repayment amounts. Under such a system, every qualifying student has full access to funding;
- Address accommodation challenges, which include shortages of accommodation, and issues relating to the accreditation of service providers, are addressed through proper public/private partnerships.

DASO North West will request the DA’s Shadow Minister of Higher Education, Chantel King MP, to again raise some of these proposals with the Department of Higher Education as a matter if urgency with the aim of getting long term solutions moving forward.

In the meantime, destructive behaviour is not conducive to a healthy campus life where the focus should be to build rather than to destroy. We call for calm with a focus towards addressing challenges in a constructive manner.

Issued by Gavin Edwards, DA Constituency Head: DASO North West, 9 March 2022