Universities SA CEO Prof Ahmed Bawa on Wednesday urged the government to find a way to deal with the needs of financially-stricken students, as #asinmali (“we don’t have money”) protests escalated, with a bystander shot dead and several injured in the streets around Wits University in Johannesburg.

“The NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] shortfall this year is R5.6bn. There is no possibility of any university finding that kind of money. I think we have to turn to the cabinet. We are desperate to hear what they have decided. We were hoping that there was a way cabinet was able to find that money to ensure the NSFAS programmes are not undermined, because if that happens we face serious challenges,” he said...