Student protests at Rhodes University in South Africa have disrupted the academic programme for the second consecutive day. On Wednesday, 30 September, the university's academic programme will continue online. The protests, led by the Student Representative Council (SRC), are in response to the university's Protocol on the Payment of Student Fees for the 2027 Academic Year. The protocol requires students to pay tuition fees and any outstanding residence fees incurred.
The SRC has presented a memorandum of demands to the university's vice-chancellor, outlining concerns and proposing changes to the fee payment protocol. According to Lungelo Mabika, SRC academic representative, student leaders spent almost seven hours on Saturday consulting on the protocol and developing proposed amendments. The SRC is calling for a more sliding-scale model to account for the financial circumstances of many students.
The protest had been approved ahead of Tuesday's action, according to documentation shown to Grocott's Mail. SRC president Thalethu Magidela said the protest is scheduled to continue until Friday. The protocol requires self-funded undergraduate students with outstanding balances to pay at least 50% of their debt and commit to paying at least R3 000 a month towards the balance. Students say these requirements fail to account for their financial circumstances.
One of the key concerns raised by students is the residence debt threshold, which is currently set at R25 000. The SRC is calling for this threshold to be increased to R75 000. Magidela said that residence itself costs around R90 000, and students naturally incur debt. The availability and cost of off-campus accommodation in Makhanda are also a challenge for students.
The university's protocol states that outstanding fees remain payable and that students who default on agreed payment arrangements may be handed over to a debt collection agency. Mabika said students were dissatisfied with the responses they received from university management during Monday's meeting. The SRC is seeking a balanced protocol that speaks to both students and the university.
Keketso Dibakwane, an SRC member, accused the university of going back on what it had already agreed with students. The university said in a statement on Tuesday that the Council approved the protocol as part of measures to address outstanding student debt and support the university's long-term financial sustainability. The university reiterated that it remains committed to continued engagement with student representatives.
For some university staff, the disruption was difficult but understandable given the financial pressures facing students and their families. Housekeeper Pamela Lomba said staff shared the concerns of parents whose children risked being unable to continue their studies because of outstanding debt. The university's leadership met on Tuesday to consider the students' memorandum and invited the SRC to a meeting that evening, which the SRC did not attend.
Key points
- Students protest against Rhodes University's fee payment protocol, citing financial difficulties and unaffordable debt thresholds.
- The SRC is calling for a more sliding-scale model to account for students' financial circumstances and an increase in the residence debt threshold.
- The university remains committed to engagement with student representatives, but the protests continue, disrupting academic and dining facilities.
