Students lose patience
THE troubled Mangosuthu University of Technology could face another blow
This time students who have lost weeks of lectures are threatening to take to the streets to force the institution's management to resolve the workers' four-week long wage dispute.
The university remains closed and students have been told not to return to campus on Monday as expected until further notice.
The institution's management continues to refuse to budge on its 6,5percent salary increase offer.
Talks between the university and staff, including lecturers, have not yet resolved the wage dispute, with employees demanding a 9percent increase and a R550 housing allowance increase.
Mbali Mkhize, MUT director of marketing and communications, said: "Students are requested not to return to the university on Monday, until they get SMSes from the university, or hear from credible sources, stating when they should return."
The institution says it is in "financial difficulties" and that meeting the demands would put an extra financial burden on it.
The students yesterday blamed the disruptions and chaos on campus on poor management by top officials "who are not prepared to take education seriously".
Xolani Ndlovu, student development officer on the students' representative council, confirmed they had received an SMS from the university telling them not to return to campus on Monday.
Ndlovu said the strike would hit students hard, while their June exams remained unmarked.
"Time is not on our side, it is already in the middle of July and by September we should be concluding the syllabus and getting ready for the final exams.
"From the time when the strike comes to an end, lecturers would obviously need about a week to mark scripts and another week to set and conduct supplementary exams," Ndlovu said.
He said students, who should have concluded their registration process by now, reported that they had not yet been told about a possible registration fee increase after the university staff downed tools last month, bringing the institution to a standstill.
Ndlovu said: "We are not going to allow management to inform us about the registration increase on the last hour, while we have been waiting for them to come to the table with us.
"They cannot neglect everything that has to do with the students and expect to implement increases at the last minute."
sekweppa
lecturers earns peanuts and we are expected to pour our hard earned skills for free!!!!!!!!!!!!R12k with a masters is an insult to me!!!!Report Abuse
Ziyangifisa-Izifebe!!
That's where i got my IT Diploma,i hope things wil get back 2 normal soon coz i luv dat institution,i had good times there n if feels lyk i was there yesterday.Report Abuse