13/01/2023
EFFSC DUT DBN BRANCH STATEMENT.
EMMIDIATE RELEASE: [Friday, 13 JAN 2023]
Extended revolutionary greetings to DUT populace
"The walls of the educational system must come down. Education should not be a privilege, so the children of those who have money can study. " Steve Biko
*New year 2023*
With the above Qoute, the EFFSC wishes all DUT populace happy new year. We wish 2023 to be a student friendly year both academically, financially and otherwise. EFFSC is yet committing itself again to be in the forefront line in the struggle of championing all issues affecting students DUT campuses. The EFFSC remains and will forever be on the side of students, no matter how much the university threatens to victimize the members of the EFFSC and general students.
We are starting the year 2023 with again high moral and spirit of demanding justice where the injustice is occurring. The DUT EFFSC has committed itself in spending its entire days of existence fighting against any form of exclusion and oppression directect to prevent students from getting access to quality education.
In the history of DUT, today marks exactly 3 years, 11 months and 8 days since our Mlungisi Madonsela was shot dead by the security company hired by the institution. Until today, no justice has been served and even the issues of students that that led to this incident, DUT is till again not resolving them.
The DUT EFFSC would like to put it clear and on record that this year, the dream of strike free campus will never be achieved if the management of DUT continues to oppress our students. We are demanding the commemoration of Mlungisi Madonsela that the institution vowed to do every 5th of February.
*Registration*
The registration is expected to commence on the 16th of January 2023 as per the academic calendar of the institution. However the funded list of NSFAS students is anticipated to arrive on the 23rd of January, which means before 23rd no NSFAS student will be able to register. Our understanding of the incompetence of NSFAS staff members that has led to many strikes across the country made us propose to the institution that, the institution must unblock all the returning students that are still within the N rule requirement, the institution must unblock all first years whose their nsfas status has passed funding Eligibility even if the funded list has not arrived because there is a high possibility that the NSFAS will fail to send the list by 23rd.
Registration for both first years and returning will commence on the 16th January.
*Classes*
Classes will commence on 6th of February, we are warning again the DUT management to never think that they will resume classes while there are still students that are frustrated by registration. There are no students that will attend classes while others are still waiting for finance to unblock them.
*Supplementary exams and special exam*
All those having supplementary exam must liaise with their respective departments if ever need accommodation must contact SRC accommodation or fighters in order to get full information or direct your emails to housing with proof. Those who want or qualify for special exams must contact their respective departments to get forms or liaise with SRC education and transformation or fighters to get full assistance. We have instructed departments to process and record all results in due time so that students will be unblocked as soon as their registration date. We are expecting no expecting no delays regarding their registration.
*Registration for first years*
We demand the DUT management to look closer all relevant department pertaining registration processes. Students admission department used to be the most useless and hub of fustrations to students more especial first year students. The arrogance of Dr Nombela of operating that department like her shebeen is always causing havoc and not meeting the intake target on time. We have been proposing to DUT management that the power of registering students to be given back to faculties so that we won't find ourselves again in a situation whereby that head of Registration called Dr Nombela is again failing to meet targets on time and leading to registration continuing while classes have started. This year we are not going to tolerate that, all classes shall resume after the registration process have been closed. We also highly condem the incompetent of Student admission department's staff. Last year they gave many applicants offers and they said it's first come first serve. This year we do not want to witness that nonsensical laziness.
*Registration for returning students*
Registration of returning students is expected to commence on the 16th of January 2023, registration will take place both manual and online and fighters will be available to assist whenever students are facing difficulties.
*Registration fee increment*
It is with great disappointment to report that the university has taken a decision of increasing Registration fees. The cost of living has been tripled nation wide and many jobs were lost during lockdown and there was no means of repairing them, Yet the university decided to increase the fees. This university has no interest other intrest at heart besides the one of profit maximization. It really disturbing that students are expected to pay this much only for getting access to education. We reject this crazy fee increment for any reason. The university increased the registration fee from R4400 to R4610 both tuition and residence fees. The position of the EFFSC remains uncompressed and non-negotiable with regards to Fees, we call for free registration for all.
*SRC grant*
The SRC led by EFFSC will communicate the opening date of the SRC grant once everything has been finalised. The EFFSC have noted the arrogance and act of dictacting SRC by Mr Masiza, Masiza is just the manager of Students Governance Department not the Head of the SRC. SRC grant remains the grant of the SRC not Masiza Grant, we therefore call him to allow the SRC to lead the processes and especially the one of requirements for a student to meet in order to get grant, we want to condemn his behavior before this kind of behavior escalate. Also, the SRC grant budget must not go back to bags while students left outside because of financial reasons.
*NSFAS*
NSFAS applications are still opened till the 31st of January 2023. We plead all potential and deserving students, but not funded to apply for nsfas as early as possible.
EFFSC SRCs accross the country were mandated to propose the increment of living and book allowances since the cost of living has been increased or tripled during and after lockdown. The SRCs led by EFFSC proposed R2000 for living allowances but the old and tired man, Blade Nzimande and his bambinos led SAUSE chose to insult students with an increment of R75.00 p/st, the EFFSC led by President cmsr Sihle Lonzi will have a meeting with the Executive Management of NSFAS on the 16th of January 2023, our position remain clear with the amount of R2000 food allowance and R6500 book allowance. NSFAS also implemented student accounts called "my nsfas card" wich will be coordinated by them, means the universities will not account for allowance queries. DUT SRC led by EFFSC refused to use that system which means at DUT we will continue with the system that was used the previous years. This system will be a hub corruption and ghost accounts to ANC thugs like they use on SASSA. We thank the SRC led by EFFSC to reject it.
We encourage students to update their NSFAS profile.
Steps for updating NSFAS profile.
1. Click this link http://www.nsfas.org.za
2. Go to “MY NSFAS”
3. Login with your ID and NSFAS password. DO NOT CREATE ACCOUNT.
4. After logging in, Scroll down you’ll see a yellow circle with your initials, click that yellow circle.
5. Make sure the appearing details are correct and valid then click “SAVE”.
6. You will receive a SMS once you done.
The SRC led by EFFSC will have a meeting on the 19th to further resolve all pending issues related to NSFAS. The SRC led by EFFSC again has managed to invite the NSFAS officials to be available for the entire registration period.
*Housing*
Towards the end of previous year academic calendar the SRC led by EFFSC proposed that the department must finalize and confirm the number of beds available for this academic year calendar and compare it with number of students applied for residences. If the number of beds are equal or less they must continue to contract residences to accommodate those who didn't applied for various reasons. The EFFSC will not allow this department to allocate students in unconducive buildings and those has issues. We also condemn the contracting of shacks and old buildings and we will never allow them to allocate students in those so called residences.
We understand the laziness and arrogance of these DUT staff members, they must not test our energy because we will not allow them to play their petty politics in an expense of potential and DUT students. We know that this department is controlled and governed by favoritism, nepotism, and corruption that leads DUT students stranded for a whole semester or year like they did the previous year. So we warning them, they must not disturb our peace because we will forever be on the side of students, particularly Black and marginalized.
We are also warning housing and financial aid again to never repeat what they did last year, we are expecting the template of first years to be sent to NSFAS with the exact information corresponding to their cases. We want no issues of Res codes this year.
Through SRC led by EFFSC, we have also requested that the House committee should come back early so they begin as soon as the res allocation is done to assist students with allocation. We have noted that the caretakers has an attitude of thinking that they are owning buildings and end up violating peace of our students, we encourage house coms to report every case to the CHE ledy by EFFSC and SRC whenever such incidents occurs.
*Finance Department*
We're aware of the absurdism done by that department where they refuse to give students their academic records because of their historical debts.
As the EFFSC we condemn that nonsense, it was also resolved at SAUS that students must be given their academic records regardless of them owing or not!. The SRC is currently zooming into this issue and will revert as soon as the matter is resolved.
*Racism*
As DUT students and staff members, particularly Black and African are facing a serious racism at their respective departments. City campus and Health department, particularly EMC they are treating our brothers and sisters like animals. We want to make it very clear that this year we are going to advance our approach in dealing with such cases. It's can't not be true that we are treated like step children in an institution dominated by Blacks and African.
*Higher Certificate*
The DUT remains the institution that drives the capitalist agenda. The profit is only thing that drives the decisioning and reasoning of the institution. We are now waiting for the last meeting to take place now in January of SRC with Dean of students where the issue of absorbing higher certificate will be finilized, the update will be released after the meeting. The EFFSC remains in its position that says all higher certificate students must be fully absorbed by the institution.
*Dental Technology students*
We are warning the heath science faculty and Department of dental technology to stop scamming students, all the students that are victims of that nonsensical course must be given offers for other courses within health and be refunded. If they fail to do that, they must know that the DUT EFFSC is not scared of paying them a visit.
In conclusion we are giving the DUT populace confidence, we will continue to fight for their interests and if they come across with any problem they must not hesitate to call or come to the EFFSC because we are for students.
ISSUED ON BEHALF
EFFSC DUT DBN BRANCH
🖤💚❤️
