On 9 March, frustrated students took to the streets, angered by the failings of institutions meant to ensure student wellbeing. The protest was sparked by all too familiar issues: delayed NSFAS allowances, increased food prices at UP residences, and high fees at private student accommodations. Several student organisations, particularly the EFF Youth Command UP (EFFYC-UP) and the UP-SRC, collaborated with students in order to mobilise a stand against exploitation.
Issues relating to the protest seem to have begun towards the beginning of March, the EFFYC-UP released a statement on their Instagram account on 2 March. In this statement, they demanded that no additional fees should be charged to NSFAS-funded students at NSFAS-accredited accommodations, and that all students that have already paid these additional fees must be refunded in full, demanding that these refunds must take place by 16 March or they will take decisive action. The statement concluded by demanding that all outstanding NSFAS allowances should be released before the end of the week. A follow-up statement was then released which detailed that NSFAS had communicated with accredited private accommodations back in February to cease charging NSFAS-funded students for deposits, administrative fees, and other non-rental amounts. The statement continues to call for the refunds to be paid to students who have already paid the additional fees, this time demanding that said refunds be provided no later than 20 March. The statement concludes by detailing engagement with the Student Service Centre (SSC) regarding speed-up of lease approvals at UP residences in order for students to receive their meal allowances.
The UP-SRC also released a statement addressing the issue of additional fees at private accommodations, detailing a meeting with Thrive Student Living management which resulted in the rental price for sharing rooms being reduced from R5 550 per month to R5 400. The SRC also requested that Thrive’s high lease and administrative fees not be imposed and that students who have already paid these fees be refunded within 14 days. However, Thrive rejected this request, providing that these fees were necessary for administrative purposes. The statement concludes by detailing resolutions from the meeting with Thrive and The Fields Student Accommodation. The resolutions discuss quality of life issues such as maintenance, internal transfers between Thrive buildings, biometric access for NSFAS-funded students, and visitor policies.
The EFFYC-UP followed up on their previous statements, announcing the titular protest in an Instagram post a week before it took place. The post also demanded that the university release NSFAS allowances immediately, and that UP residences must be involved in administrative fee and deposit refunds. It further said that an accommodation cap must be implemented by the UP residence office, food prices must be reduced in TuksRes dining halls, and additional rental fees at private accommodations must be done away with. They also explained that accommodations that refuse to comply must have their NSFAS accreditation revoked. Finally, the post said that private accommodations will be shut down until all demands are met.
The protest began at the Prospect Street entrance at 11:30. Students had marched and demonstrated at several nearby private accommodations such as Varsity Studios, Respublica, and Campus Central. As per the EFFYC-UP’s statement regarding the protest, private accommodations owned by Thrive Student Living supposedly restricted students from leaving their buildings throughout the early hours of the protest.
PDBY spoke with Tjebane Mmabatho, a second-year Political Science student who attended and documented the protest through several videos on her TikTok page, @livelovelaughvenlee. One of Mmabatho’s videos was posted on the EFFYC Instagram account. Mmabatho corroborates the EFFYC-UP’s statement, providing that when demonstrators had arrived at Varsity Studios, a Thrive-owned accommodation, residents were prevented from leaving the building. They were even supposedly told that if they joined the protest, they would not be allowed to return. Mmabatho had initial concerns about low attendance, however, these worries fell away as the march continued, gaining momentum and numbers with every accommodation visited. Mmabatho highlighted the sense of unity she had felt among fellow students at the protest as there was collaboration between UP-SRC and EFFYC-UP leaders, as well as members of several different student political societies.
The march concluded at the SSC building with an address from SRC President Khutso Manyaka, who expressed his joy at the presence of students convening against exploitation. It should be noted that during the protest, Manyaka had been engaging with university management regarding the prevailing issues. In one of Mmabatho’s videos that documented the end of the protest, she reports that it was communicated that NSFAS allowances will be released. Some students in the comment section of this video shared that they have received their allowances while other commenters provide that they are still waiting.
In the EFFYC-UP’s statement following the protest, they reaffirm their demand for students who have paid additional fees at accommodations to be refunded by 20 March, saying that accommodations who refuse will be confronted by the EFFYC-UP and reported to the relevant offices at NSFAS and the Department of Higher Education and Training. The statement also details that the EFFYC-UP delivered several demands to the UP residence office. This statement demanded that TuksRes intervene in ensuring that students acquire refunds from private student accommodations, that the office does not accredit accommodations that charge students high fees, and that all accredited accommodations must have a minimum of two NSFAS cap-rated options. It said that TuksRes needs to provide affordable food for students residing at UP residences, that they need to reduce room prices, and that they should cancel and refund any non-rental affiliated charges to students. The statement concludes by saying that meal allowances have been released for TuksRes students.
The protest on 9 March is an example of how students are able to take action in order to stand up for their rights and contest exploitative policies. However, the surrounding situation also highlights the exploitative nature of institutions that are meant to help students. Private accommodations such as those owned by Thrive Student Living are quick to disregard the wellbeing of students in order to meet their bottom line. When all is said and done, it seems that these institutions simply view students as a means to gain capital.
