Union vows to continue with protest at nursing college despite court interdict

The Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (Haitu) says it will challenge a court order obtained by the Gauteng health department on Friday which restrained final-year nursing students from participating in unlawful protests at its nursing campuses. 

The students had in the past week been disrupting and interfering with the examinations of first and second year nursing college students, restricting access to the SG Lorens campus and preventing the free movement of student nurses, employees, lecturers and service providers. 

The protests were due to final-year student demands that the bursary stipend they had been receiving while studying must continue to be paid between June and November 2023 while they wait for their licentiate examinations with the South African Nursing Council, even though they have completed their studies. 

Haitu said it noted with disgust that Gauteng health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko had been granted an interdict to block students from the Gauteng College of Nurses from participating in protest action at nursing college campuses.

Haitu accused the MEC of abusing the courts “to run away” from her responsibilities towards the students.

“The anger of students is justifiable. The department abruptly informed student nurses their contracts come to an end on May 31. These are students who will be the first cohort and finalists of the R171 curriculum, and there are no plans to support these students until they sit for board exams in November,” it said.

The union said it had been in talks with department officials and had written emails to highlight this issue.

“We believe the demands students are making are reasonable. It is our view they only need approximately R10m for this group, and this money should be able to carry them until they can sit for board exams and end up being registered practitioners, like their bursary contract states,” the union said. 

Haitu said it would challenge the interdict as it was not yet final.

“We will be applying for a court interdict against Nkomo-Ralehoko to demand the department must support the R171 students until this situation has been resolved.

“This will set a precedent that no student under R171 shall vacate any residence or college until the matter is resolved.” 

The union said it would apply for permission to march on Wednesday in support of the students. 

“The students are advised to continue with peaceful protest action in all campuses until the legal march on May 31.

“The college cannot continue to run as long as this issue is not resolved. We demand stipends must continue until all students are able to sit for the board exams in November.”

However, the department said it did not have R8m to cover the costs of extending the period of the 167 final year students on bursary contract. 

Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the interim order prohibited students and all those aiding them from organising and participating in meetings and protest action in any of the nursing college campuses without a court order authorising such a meeting or protest. 

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