Dumsile Mbatha

University of Zululand students protested outside the University premises on Tuesday regarding data for online learning and laptops.

Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande said all NSFAS funded students at the beginning of May that they will receive laptops and data. Some Universities started distributing data for students at the beginning of June, unfortunately Unizulu students have not gotten any data.

One of the EFF SRC candidate, Future Nkalanga, said they are now tired of empty promises that the University is telling them.

“Our biggest challenge is that online learning is continuing even though we have not received our data and laptops. We have reported the issue to the institution numerous times but there is no change, since April,” Nkalanga said.

There are no students that have returned at Unizulu campuses ever since Minister Nzimande said 33% of students can return to their campuses. The struggle is real even for parents who buy data now and then for their children.

Nokulunga Njoko said the data she buys for her daughter does not last a month.

“They started online learning in April, I have been buying data for my daughter since then. I am not working, but I have to make sure that my child’s education comes first in everything, and I do hope that they will receive their data next month,” she added.

Picture: eNCA.com