University student Samkele Sigam wakes up every morning and takes a 30-minute walk to town to buy essentials for his family.
This is how the 25-year-old Wits University student has been spending most of his time at his home in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape, for the past couple of weeks, while he contemplates ways to clear the historic debt which is preventing him from registering for the 2023 academic year.
Sigam, a third year student doing a BSc degree in aeronautical engineering, is one of thousands of students unable to register at Wits due to historic debt.
He owes the institution R87,000 and said his debt has prevented him from obtaining his academic results from last year. From his first year in 2018 till last year, he was funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Sigam lost his NSFAS funding for this year due to exceeding the NSFAS N+1 rule which required him to complete his qualification in a maximum period of five years.
He lost his funding due to failing some modules last year.
Sigam is from Cofimvaba, where he lives with his aunt, her two children and his 17-year-old sister who is in high school.
His aunt is unemployed and the family survives on the child support grants she gets for her children.
Sigam’s father passed away while he was in primary school and he lost his mother in 2017.
Sigam said he has been at home since the beginning of the year and is unable to return to campus because he does not have the money to register.
“I am under serious strain and stressed. I am waiting for the SRC [student representative council] to assist me. It is not a nice feeling to sit at home because my family is pinning their hopes on me to break our cycle of poverty. I am not feeling well emotionally and psychologically.
“Sometimes I get pressure from relatives who say I should have finished my degree by now. I tend to think I am a failure and a person who will never amount to anything,” said Sigam.
Yesterday, Sigam boarded a bus to Johannesburg after he received a call from the Wits SRC that funds are available to assist indebted students.
The SRC received a donation of R1m from the Motsepe Foundation towards student registration, tuition fees and settling historic debt. The money will go to a fund set up by the SRC.
“The SRC told me to come to campus on Monday so that I can apply for the funding. I am happy and hopeful that this initiative will assist me,” said Sigam.
Another student, Penipeni Tshabalala, 22, said he owes the institution about R40,000 and will not be able to attend his graduation ceremony in April and receive his qualification certificate until he settles the debt.
Tshabalala has until March 30 to settle the debt.
He completed his Bachelor of Education degree last year and is currently registered for a BA Honours degree in translation.
I want my mother to witness me getting my degree.
Tshabalala was funded by NSFAS from 2019 until last year. He is in need of funding for this year.
He is from Parys, Free State, where he lives with his single mother and young sister.
“My whole life has been an emotional journey. Officially graduating would mean a lot for me. This degree would give me healing and closure of the life I went through as a child. I want my mother to witness me getting my degree so that I can change the situation at home,” said Tshabalala.
kokam@sowetan.co.za
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