Displaying items by tag: adam habib

Almost 5 000 Wits students have received laptops, delivered by the South African Post Office (SAPO), to enable online learning during the nationwide lockdown.

Retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke says that while he supports Wits vice-chancellor Adam Habib's decision to resume with academic activity, the students’ calls for free education are legitimate and should be addressed by the state.

Here follows a summary of Wits University Council’s proposals on how it plans to address the fee increase challenge.

• Students will not pay an upfront fee.
• The fee increase proposal for 2016 has been suspended.
• Calling for transparent negotiations between the University and the student community/Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) as a matter of urgency.
• Wits will cut spending and investigate non-essential spending, and will focus financial resources on academic matters and access for students.
• Discounts for NSFAS and financially stressed students.
• Wits will continue to source additional funding form external sources.
• Wits will continue to engage with government to address the shortfall in higher education funding.
• Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Adam Habib, to give up any performance bonus and redirect the monies towards access for deserving students.

Wits vice chancellor Adam Habib is this morning set to meet with students who have been protesting at the university to hear their grievances and find a resolution, the university said.

The protest, which started at around 7am, gathered momentum soon after students blocked the university gate entrances including the main Empire road entrance and the Yale Street entrance.