The University of the Witwatersrand’s Student Representative Council (SRC) President Nombulelo Chiya says the university currently has student debt of R1.6 billion.

Chiya was speaking at the launch of the SRC trust fund called the Kobo Ya Thuto Legacy Fund at the university in Braamfontein.

The initiative aims to eradicate the persistent challenge of financial exclusion brought on by poverty and to ensure quality education for all South Africans.

Chiya says the university aims to raise R30 million to address student debt.

” The current student debt that is at Wits University is R1.6 billion, it is not only the issue of Wits, we have a huge crisis in terms of student debts that exist across the entire nation and hence we have to come forward with different solutions to solve these issues. We are aiming to raise R30 million to address these issues of registration that currently stand in hand in the current moment. However, we don’t aim to end there, we aim to go further to assist other students that are going to come after.”

VIDEO |Wits has been struggling with student debt for years.