By Zanele Makola
Students at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) held a protest at the Braamfontein campus on Friday, calling for the immediate registration of all students for the 2026 academic year, regardless of historical debt or academic standing.
The demonstrations highlight growing frustration among students who say rising residence costs and tuition fees have trapped many in a cycle of debt, effectively blocking thousands from continuing their studies.
Among the key demands is a two-week extension of the registration period. Wits, however, has pushed back, warning that further extensions would only postpone the academic calendar, ultimately disadvantaging students.
Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel told Student Living SA that while the university recognises students’ right to protest peacefully, any action that infringes on the rights of others would not be tolerated. “The university has already made substantial concessions and assisted students as far as possible. To this end, the university has the Wits Registration Assistance Fund and the SRC Access Fund, which collectively have disbursed about R26 million to students this year for registration and accommodation,” Patel said.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have voiced support for the protests. Deputy Secretary Lebo Sebolao confirmed that a memorandum of demands was submitted to the university on Monday, urging that students with less than R150,000 in debt be allowed to register.
“Our registration fee is R10,000, but students can’t register due to a backlog of fees,” Sebolao said. “We’ve tried all that we could, but the school is ignoring our demands. Instead, they want students to go home, which is impossible.”
The students’ demands include extending the registration period by two weeks, permitting registration regardless of academic performance, allowing students with historical debt to register, and lifting the precautionary suspensions of 14 students.
The standoff underscores the ongoing challenge of financial barriers to higher education, even as existing support mechanisms, such as the Wits Registration Assistance Fund, attempt to bridge the gap for struggling students.
