Northlink students threaten to shutdown campuses

Northlink College students marching from the campus in Parow on Friday, demanding their travel and food allowances. Photo: Tariro Washinyira

• Northlink College students have threatened to shut all campuses until their demands are met.
• They want NSFAS qualifying students to get their travel and food allowances, among other things.
• The college head has promised to meet with the SRC on Wednesday to discuss the demands.

About 80 Northlink College students who are funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) protested in Parow Northlink and later marched to the central office at the college’s Protea Campus on Friday.

The group handed over a memorandum to college head Neil Magott. He told students that he will discuss their demands with student leaders on Wednesday.

Among their demands is for beneficiaries of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to be given all of their allowances.

In the memorandum, the students said, “We demand equal treatment amongst all students in Northlink across all campuses. Us, who come from poor and marginalised backgrounds, our presence and voices are not heard. We demand a proper sustainable food security programme that will give students monthly groceries.”

Students have been protesting since last week for outstanding travel and food allowance payments. Some students were evicted after NSFAS failed to pay their monthly funds.

SASCO’s provincial chairperson Mangaliso Nompula warned that they would shutdown all campuses until their demands are met.

“Some protesting students were expelled and there have been threats that they will expel more protesting students. We are going to investigate the issue,” she said.

Nompula said they wanted Parliament to look into the matter. “We can’t have students fail because of a system that is discriminative and suppressive,” she said.

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