Johannesburg – Universities South Africa CEO Professor Ahmed Bawa says writing off student debt is not on the cards.
The Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) is threatening to continue with protest action against the exclusion of students due to outstanding fees.
Universities across South Africa are set to resume classes this week.
“Debt owed to universities is in the region of R10-billion. At Wits [it] amounts about R250-million,” said Bawa.
“The idea that the amount can simply be written off is just not on the cards. It will make a huge dent for these universities to continue to be sustainable.
“Secondly, none of this debt is attributable to students who qualify for NSFAS funding. The new system covers the cost of studying, accommodation and so on.
“This is mainly now a debt that has accrued to students who fall into this category we refer to as the missing middle. [The] fact of the matter is we don’t have a national system yet to cater to the needs of students who fall into that category.”
