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Blade considers centralising admissions

SADDENED: Minister Blade Nzimande
SADDENED: Minister Blade Nzimande

MINISTER of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande wants to introduce a central application system for universities.

Yesterday, police confirmed that a 48-year-old woman was crushed to death at the University of Johannesburg and 22 other people were injured, two critically.

They had been involved in a stampede at the campus as thousands of potential students tried to apply for the last few places available yesterday. The institution has decided to cancel late registrations.

Nzimande said: "We are considering discontinuing walk-ins at registration time at universities. Our aim for a centralised application office to be operational in 2013."

The applications office will handle all higher education applications in one office and will carry one application fee.

Registration at the UJ campus was cancelled. Registrar Professor Marle Muller said they had received 7000 late applications since Monday.

Nzimande advised students to go to further education and training colleges.

Johannesburg metro police, the South African Police Service and the Johannesburg disaster management unit had to be deployed to manage the main entrance to the Bunting Road campus of the UJ.

The woman, who was the mother of a prospective student, was killed when the crowd stormed the entrance when gates opened. UJ security services were forced to open the main gate, with some people jumping over the spiked pallisade fencing because they were being crushed.

The National, Education, Health and Allied Workers Union blamed the chaos at UJ on the lack of adequate career guidance at school level and a lack of confidence in FETs.

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