Update
GEORGE NEWS - Protest action in George by students who have not received their NSFAS grant payments has necessitated the intervention of the police on two occasions in the past seven days.
On Friday 19 March, George Herald received a call from students saying their SRC chairman and another student had been arrested for no reason.
This occurred after students gathered at the college's central offices in Mitchell Street, blocking the street in protest because they receive no answers about the way forward.
However, according to a statement by Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies on Friday, the two students were not arrested, only removed from the premises. He said students gained access to the building through the back gate and were preventing staff from leaving the premises.
On Tuesday morning, Public Order Police (Pops) closely monitored the situation in front of the George campus in Hibernia Street where students were burning tyres.
In the afternoon, Southern Cape police spokesperson Capt Malcom Pojie said no damage was reported and no students were arrested. "After a meeting on campus around 14:00 today, students left peacefully."
By the time of going to print, the paper was still awaiting response from the college management on enquiries about the meeting. The students could also not be reached for comment.
With the NSFAS debacle a nationwide educational crisis, George Herald has reported on developments at the George campus of the South Cape College over the past three weeks.
As time went by and no NSFAS grants were paid out, students who depend on the grant money for food and accommodation were getting increasingly desperate. It is alleged that many students have been evicted from their accommodation as they could not pay their rent.
The student representatives that spoke to George Herald painted a sad picture of frustration with the communication channels between the college, the students and NSFAS.
They claimed that the college is not taking active steps to help them survive while they wait for the grants to be paid out.
Students of the South Cape College George Campus gathering at the central office. Photo: Salette Cloete
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