The management of the University of SA (UNISA) is currently locked in a meeting with the SA Students Congress in an effort to resolve issues that led to chaos at the university’s Sunnyside campus on Monday morning.
The university’s spokesperson‚ Martin Ramotshela‚ said chaos erupted as Sasco members prevented prospective students from entering the campus to apply for space.
He said there was a stand-off between the EFF Student Command and Sasco‚ with the EFF Student Command pushing for potential students to gain entry into the campus.
“The university’s executive management is currently in talks with Sasco to resolve issues raised by Sasco. We have had to let our staff leave the campus for safety reasons‚” he said.
The university announced on Sunday that it has resolved to re-open applications for the 2018 academic year for prospective first-time undergraduate students who have not previously applied for admission for the 2018 academic year.
The decision was taken following communication from Universities SA (USAf) on January 10 regarding how universities should manage walk-in students during the 2018 registration period.
The new deadline for applications is January 19.
Ramotshela said the university was unable to proceed with the business of the day due to the fracas‚ which saw prospective students blocked at the gate scaling the gate to gain entry to the campus.
Unisa in talks with Sasco following chaos
Image: Thinkstock
The management of the University of SA (UNISA) is currently locked in a meeting with the SA Students Congress in an effort to resolve issues that led to chaos at the university’s Sunnyside campus on Monday morning.
The university’s spokesperson‚ Martin Ramotshela‚ said chaos erupted as Sasco members prevented prospective students from entering the campus to apply for space.
He said there was a stand-off between the EFF Student Command and Sasco‚ with the EFF Student Command pushing for potential students to gain entry into the campus.
“The university’s executive management is currently in talks with Sasco to resolve issues raised by Sasco. We have had to let our staff leave the campus for safety reasons‚” he said.
The university announced on Sunday that it has resolved to re-open applications for the 2018 academic year for prospective first-time undergraduate students who have not previously applied for admission for the 2018 academic year.
The decision was taken following communication from Universities SA (USAf) on January 10 regarding how universities should manage walk-in students during the 2018 registration period.
The new deadline for applications is January 19.
Ramotshela said the university was unable to proceed with the business of the day due to the fracas‚ which saw prospective students blocked at the gate scaling the gate to gain entry to the campus.
Julius Malema to graduate from Unisa, again
“We will make a pronouncement on the way forward with the day that has been lost‚” he said.
Ramotshela said the university management held successful talks with the EFF Student Command‚ which demanded that the application process be re-opened and that walk-ins be allowed‚ on Friday.
A student‚ who had travelled all the way from Machiding in the former KwaNdebele homeland‚ about 140mm north east of Pretoria to collect his financial statement at the university's Sunnyside campus‚ said he was pushed around and told to “F**k off” on Friday.
"(EFF Student Command) were blocking the gate‚ turning people away in a very aggressive manner. I returned (on Monday) only to be sent back by the Sasco people at the gate. It is a very frustrating situation‚" third-year information technology student Jan Skosana said.
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