UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader said the decision to move the academic programme online comes after UFS students disrupted classes. Students have allegedly been protesting about issues of allowances and accommodation, among other things.

Loader said the sporadic disruptions of academic activities occurred on Tuesday and earlier on Wednesday on the Bloemfontein, South and Qwaqwa campuses.

“In recent weeks, the university's management has made various attempts to keep the campuses open for face-to-face learning and teaching amid challenges experienced with the disbursement of students’ National Financial Aid Allowance Scheme (NSFAS) allowances through eZaga, an online digital banking service, tasked with dispersing direct payments to NSFAS beneficiaries.”

The UFS management has held several meetings with NSFAS representatives which were arranged by Universities South Africa (USAF). A planned meeting with the Minister of Higher Education Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, to discuss the student challenges was postponed to a later date. Loader further added that they had constant engagements with the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) in relation to these matters but their efforts have gone unnoticed.

“To minimise the risk to the academic programme, as well as the fact that this is a sector-wide challenge, the academic programme (activities, classes, and assignments) will continue online as far as possible from 2 to 4 August 2023.”

“The university is not closed; all other activities will continue as normal. All campuses are also accessible. The situation on the campuses is being monitored closely and the necessary security measures are in place to ensure the safety of students and staff.”

OFM News