Johannesburg – The Health and Allied Workers Indaba Trade Union (Haitu) has slammed Gauteng Department of Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko for interdicting the protest of the R171 final-year nursing students.
The students have been picketing outside the Gauteng Nursing College campuses across the province since last week.
The department has accused these final year students of disrupting first- and second-year fellow students during the "unlawful" protests.
On Friday, the department approached the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg to obtain a court order against these students in a bid to restrain them from picketing.
The protests come amid students' demands that the bursary stipend they have been receiving while studying continue to be paid between June and November 2023.
The students are currently waiting for their licensure exams with the South African Nursing Council, while the department insists that these students no longer qualify to receive this stipend.
"Unfortunately, the department does not have the R8 million to cover the costs of extending the period for the 167 final-year students currently on bursary contracts. This will be considered an irregular expenditure as it does not comply with the Public Finance Management Act," said departmental spokesperson Motaletale Modiba on Sunday.
Reacting to the interdict, Haitu Gauteng provincial chairperson Bafana Tshabalala said they are disgusted by the MEC’s stance on the matter.
"Haitu has noted with disgust that the Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has applied for and been granted an urgent interdict at the High Court to block students from the Gauteng College of Nurses from participating in protest action at the nursing college campuses.
“We say ‘voetsek’ to the Gauteng MEC for abusing the courts in order to run away from her responsibilities towards R171 students," Tshabalala said.
He said the anger and frustration displayed by the affected students is justifiable as they were informed at the eleventh hour of this decision.
"The department abruptly informed student nurses that their contracts come to an end on the 31st of May. These are students who will be the first cohort and finalists of the R171 curriculum, and there are no plans in place to support these students until they sit for board exams in November," he said.
The union said it will challenge this interdict as it is not a final interdict.
"We will be applying for a court interdict against the MEC of Health in Gauteng, Nomantu Nkomo Ralehoko, to demand that the department support the R171 students until this situation has been resolved. This will then set a precedent that no student under R171 shall vacate any residence or college until the matter is resolved."
"Haitu will be applying for a mega march on the 31st of May in support of the R171 students, who are being given a raw deal by the department," Tshabalala said.
The Star