Update
GEORGE NEWS - The student who was arrested outside South Cape TVET College on Monday 3 March on charges of public violence, Landile Jubele, was released on R300 bail after a brief appearance in the George Magistrate's Court on Tuesday afternoon.
Landile Jubele was arrested after he, flanked by more than 100 protesting students who had blocked Hibernia Street during peak morning traffic, allegedly set fire to a tyre that formed part of debris used to block the road.
Police used stun grenades to disperse the throng from the road upon which they regrouped on the sidewalk outside the campus entrance.
The upheaval was triggered by a delay in the processing of NSFAS student allowance applications and lease agreements.
South Cape TVET College spokesperson Marnus de Klerk explained that applications could not be processed as NSFAS was yet to publish the allowance amounts per category for the 2025 academic year.
"Once the handbook is available, we will proceed with processing allowance applications and lease agreements. However, NSFAS committed to release a circular this week announcing the registration opening dates, that will include the allowance amounts as recently communicated by the minister [of education]," said De Klerk.
He said by Monday afternoon, students received the allowance application forms they had demanded. These have to be completed by Friday for submission to bursary clerks.
"These forms are for accommodation or transport and a living allowance. We are uncertain when NSFAS will trigger the first disbursement run," he added.
Students who spoke to George Herald said they have been waiting for NSFAS funding to pay for accommodation, food and books since the beginning of the year.
They said they were hungry and their landlords were ready to kick them out. Others lamented living under difficult circumstances in community halls in Thembalethu.
Some said their parents were taking financial strain as they had to take out loans to cover these expenses. One student explained his parents were farm workers who now had to share their meagre wages with him so that he could have a roof over his head and food on the table while waiting on NSFAS.
When George Herald revisited the protest on Tuesday, the mood had changed. Smiles were replaced by jeering and middle fingers in the air. Some students had swapped their civvies for red EFF T-shirts and placards calling for NSFAS payments had been replaced with ones bearing racist slants.
On Wednesday all was calm outside the college with no students protesting. Lectures had also resumed as normal.
In the meantime, Jubele was ordered to be back in the dock on 10 April.
Protesting students are all smiles as they show off their placards outside the South Cape TVET College in George on Monday.
By Tuesday the mood had become more aggressive and had taken on a racial tone.
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