Student leaders have rejected Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande's proposal of a 4.7% university fee increment.
Last week, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande announced that he's proposed a 4.7% increase on university tuition fees for the 2021 academic year and a 6.7% hike on accomodation fees.
The minister on Thursday said his department was working towards regulating the country’s tuition fees in an effort to make it more affordable.
The Department of Higher Education said that COVID-19 has had a varying impact on institutions and that it was for this reason that the completion of the academic year would happen at different times for each university.
Higher learning was disrupted and severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many students struggling with access to the internet and laptops.
Students at the university have accuse management of not offering enough support since the beginning of the lockdown.
Minister Blade Nzimande briefs media on Higher Education, Science and Innovation sector’s response to Coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown alert level.
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande on Wednesday briefed the media on his department's response to the country's move to lockdown alert level 2.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has outlined the initiatives by various universities and institutions to fight COVID-19 here in South Africa.
The minister said that processes were under way at the South African Products Authority for the establishment of dedicated structures for the regulation and evaluation of African medicines, clinical trials and their registration for commercial and clinical application.
A ministerial task team appointed by the minister has released a report into the inclusion of black South Africans in the academic sector.
The Higher Education Minister said universities could only allow 33% of final year students on campus under level 3 lockdown.
Higher Education Minister Balde Nzimande is the briefing the media on his department's COVID-19 measures.
The facts - at the start and end of your working day. #Coronavirus #COVID-19 #level3lockdown
Nzimande said government was finalising the process of verifying which NSFAS students required the devices. He said NSFAS students at TVET colleges would also receive laptops.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande made the announcement on Saturday as the country prepares to ease lockdown regulations and re-open more sectors of the economy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this month announced that most parts of the country would move to level 3 of the lockdown from 1 June.
Higher Education Deputy Director-General Diane Parker said that all institutions would be offering some form of remote multi-modal teaching and learning from 1 June.
