Durban University of Technology SRC calls for calm over NSFAS allowances

The Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) student representative council (SRC) has urged students to remain calm as the university works to resolve delays in the payment of NSFAS allowances. The unrest at the Durban and Midlands campuses this week followed concerns about the disbursement of learning material and meal allowances. The SRC said most of its constituency relies heavily on NSFAS funding, describing beneficiaries as “direct dependents of the race of labourers, those whose entire being is that of living by hand to mouth”.

“It is against this background that the SRC treats the matter with urgency, fathoming that our constituency heavily relies on the NSFAS allowances for means of subsistence,” it said. After meetings with the finance and financial aid units, the SRC reported that: The SRC said students whose templates were approved and banking details updated would be paid before the end of the week. It added that it had engaged finance officials to redirect their resources into ensuring that the allowances are paid to students by the end of Friday.

The SRC acknowledged that about 200 students had not submitted banking details and urged them to do so urgently. It also requested an AVS report to identify students who failed bank verification and to assist them directly. DUT has confirmed that it has started releasing payments.

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The university said it was processing allowances for 5,862 students, including 4,149 for learning materials and 1,713 for living allowances. However, about 700 students had not been paid due to “failed account verification (invalid bank account numbers, incorrect ID and surname combination) or non-submission of banking details”. Students were urged to update their details by midday on Friday, with another batch of payments expected to be processed next week. “We apologise for the inconvenience and discomfort experienced by students and encourage calm as we work to ensure that the correct students are paid,” the university said.

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