Gauteng turns to courts to restrain striking nursing students

The Gauteng department of health has obtained an interim court order to restrain the  final-year nursing students from continuing with “unlawful” protest. 

The students who have been disrupting exams and preventing the free movement of students, employees and lecturers for days, are demanding that the department extend their bursary stipend beyond the three-year completion period. However, the department has refused to entertain their demands, citing budget cost. 

The order restricts the students from encouraging, facilitating and promoting an unlawful protest activities at Gauteng colleges of nursing. 

Department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said: “The unlawful protests and activities are due to the students’ demand that their bursary stipend they have been receiving while studying must continue to be paid between June and November 2023, while they wait for their licentiate exam with the SANC [South African Nursing Council], though they are now done with their studies.

“Unfortunately, the department does not have over R8m to cover the costs of extending the period of the 167 final-year students currently on bursary contract. This will be considered irregular expenditure as it does not comply with the Public Finance Management Act.”

Their bursary benefits, including monthly allowances, were extended before because of Covid-19-related disruption of their academic programme at various campuses and the nursing education institution they were studying at.

“The total budget implications are that it will cost the department about R77m when considering three cohorts of students who are currently on bursary contract with the department. The department has engaged the  students, however, some continue to intimidate, conduct unauthorised surveillance on and defame officials. A case of intimidation, crimen injuria and defamation of character has been opened at Hillbrow police station,” Modiba said. 

“The department would also like to remind the students and all those who are aiding them in the unlawful protest that the court order prohibits them from organising and participating in meetings and protest action in any of the campuses [SG Laurens, Chris Hani Baragwanath, Ann Latskyand Bonalesedi] without a court order authorising such a meeting or protest.”

Modiba said the matter would be heard on June 27, where parties will present arguments on whether a final order should be granted in this regard or not.