The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has agreed to provide transport for students going home from residences after the university entered it’s recess early due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Higher education minister Blade Nzimande shut down all tertiary learning institutions on Tuesday 17 March, a week shy of their scheduled Easter break. Students were told to vacate the residences within 72 hours of the campus closing.
Shuttle service through the weekend
The university executive have said that they will assist the students to get home, with busses transporting students from all five of UKZN’s campuses on Friday and through the weekend.
The university’s department of student residence affairs said in a statement that the shuttle service will begin today.
“Students residing at the off-campus residences leased by the university will be collected at the usual collection points used for daily student residences transport.
“Students residing at the on-campus residences owned by the university will be collected at the five campuses including Westville, Edgewood, Howard College and Pietermaritzburg Campus.”
The trips planned over the weekend will run as follows:
Six trips are planned for Friday, with various stops along the way.
- Pietermaritzburg (with stops in Howick, Mooi River, Estcourt, Ladysmith and Newcastle);
- Harding (with stops in Kokstad Mount Ayliff);
- Umkomaas (with stops in Scottburgh, Port Shepstone, and Margate).
Saturday:
Two trips are planned on Saturday to KwaDukuza, Empangeni, Richards Bay, Mtubatuba and Eshowe, with stops in Melmoth, Ulundi, and Vryheid.
Protests postponed
If there is a sliver of good news to come from the outbreak of coronavirus, it’s the fact that the student protests that have disrupted the campus for months have come to a close. Students had burnt buildings and attacked police vans during a tumultuous time at the university.
The university obtained a Durban High Court interdict in February prohibiting all students from protesting or inciting protests, damaging property or assaulting anyone.
Lets hope everyone behaves on the bus ride.
Source: The South African Read More
