Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

The future of nine students expelled from Mangosuthu University of Technology hangs in the balance and their hopes of being reinstated are doubtful.

The students had high hopes of being reinstated after appealing against their expulsion almost two weeks ago.

The students were initially suspended, along with three others, for their involvement in an illegal and violent strike in March and were eventually expelled.

They are now sitting at home with their fingers crossed, hoping that the university would consider their appeal positively.

It is expected that the university will decide by mid-week whether to re-admit them.

The students had expected the university to get back to them a week after filing their appeal, but that has not happened.

The president of the students' representative council Brian Masondo, who is among those suspended, said the university had not contacted them.

"We are still waiting for the university's reply. What is important is for us to go back to class."

The suspended students are members of the IFP-aligned South African Democratic Student Movement.

Although they have already lost out on five months of lectures, they say being suspended from the university for a year would ruin their futures, hence their appeal against the verdict.