Walter Sisulu University (WSU) on its state of governance, administration, teaching and learning

Video The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education met with the Walter Sisulu University (WSU), the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), and university stakeholders to assess the state of governance, administration, teaching and learning, and institutional stability at WSU, and to evaluate whether reported reform measures were improving conditions for students and staff. The Department noted the University's historical context and reported measurable progress, including stabilised leadership and unqualified audits, while flagging ongoing risks such as governance representation and internal control weaknesses. It highlighted serious campus incidents and the institution's responsive actions, while acknowledging strong academic outcomes and infrastructure investment against a backdrop of severe accommodation shortages. WSU leadership presented Vision 2030 as its core stabilisation framework, reporting progress in governance, academic restructuring, improved success rates, research development and security upgrades. However, they emphasised that systemic pressures—including over‑75% reliance on NSFAS, student debt of R1.4 billion, severe accommodation shortfalls, and municipal service failures—continually exceeded institutional capacity. They appealed for a differentiated funding model and targeted infrastructure investment to sustain the University's access mandate. The Student Representative Council (SRC) outlined acute student‑facing challenges: accommodation shortages and unsafe conditions; registration disruptions due to NSFAS delays; withholding of academic documents; unclear bursary balances; and persistent safety concerns. The Council called for urgent infrastructure intervention, improved academic administration, stronger oversight of service providers, and enhanced non‑academic support, including food security and gender‑based violence (GBV) response structures. The Institutional Forum (IF) argue