The University of Cape Town Council has made available R30-million for students with 2020 debt to be allowed to register in 2021 with immediate effect.     

The student registration fee block in respect of 2020 debt will be lifted for South African students and African students including both undergraduate and postgraduate students, but excluding students from the Graduate School of Business from the rest of Africa. 

These decisions were taken at Council’s virtual meeting held on Saturday, 13 March.

Chair of Council, Babalwa Ngonyama said universities needed to work collaboratively to find creative and innovative solutions to the funding crisis, and the UCT Council remained committed to supporting all such efforts to ensure that academically eligible and deserving students were not denied the opportunity to study owing to lack of funding.

“The funding crisis is a national crisis. No university can solve it on its own – the higher education sector urgently needs intervention from the South African government. We must put the students who are in desperate need of financial aid at the forefront of our thinking and planning, in order to support the future and sustainability of higher education in South Africa.

“We therefore welcome the recent pronouncements by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation to review the National Student Financial Aid Scheme in the best interests of students whose higher education funding is totally dependent on an effective, efficient and adequately-funded government financial aid programme,” said Ngonyama.

UCT executive will engage stakeholders across the higher education sector to take up a sectorial approach to the Minister of Higher Education to work towards a long-term solution to the funding crisis in the sector.

On the issue of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Ngonyama said  UCT was deeply concerned about the crisis in the higher education sector.

“The university believes that there is a need for national consultation on the impact of these factors on the sector. There is also a need for a national action plan to address both the crisis and the future skills development needs of South Africa,” said Ngonyama.

On the death of Mthokozisi Ntumba during the student protest in Braamfontein last week, Ngonyama said the loss of life under such tragic circumstances was deeply regrettable – "our thoughts are with the family during this time of personal loss.”

Council reaffirmed the value of the right to protest lawfully and peacefully and without fear of reprisal.