Pretoria - North West MEC for Health and Social Development Rebecca Kasienyane shut down the Mmabatho College of Nursing following students' failure to return to classes.
For the past four weeks, about 600 nursing students at Mmabatho College of Nursing have been refusing to attend classes until their demands for uniform and housing allowances were met by the department.
Kasienyane said the department has been in conversation with the students and has swiftly attended to their concerns but despite the assurances and commitment by the department, students refused to attend classes, hence the decision to close the college.
"It was clearly stated to students that they will not be paid any uniform allowance instead, the department will provide students with uniform inclusive of the packs that students did not receive previously.
"The allowance has been paid to all deserving students and backdated to 01 April 2009 as per recommendations of a task team commissioned by me," Kasienyane said.
She said the task team included some of the students' representatives and the payment of this allowance from 1 April 2009 was a compromise following the earlier decision that it be paid from November 2009 and onwards.
"The department has to date refunded 75 students of their December boarding and lodging money, we will continue to process the claims for the remaining 27 students," she said.
Kasienyane said the college will be closed until the affected parties reached an amicable solution.
"Students' none-attendance of classes and continued stay at the college despite concerns being attended to was costing the department greatly.
"The college will remain closed while the department continues to engage student leadership, students have been advised to vacate the college, they will also forfeit their monthly allowance," Kasienyane said
