Category: General News

Date : 03 October 2025
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : SAMSU welcomes minister’s commitment to engage finance on NSFAS crisis, calls for urgent action on medical students’ funding gap

SAMSU WELCOMES MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO ENGAGE FINANCE ON NSFAS
CRISIS, CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION ON MEDICAL STUDENTS’ FUNDING GAP
The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) welcomes the commitment by the
Minister of Higher Education and Training, Hon. Buti Manamela, to engage the Minister of
Finance to secure additional resources to address the dire state of the National Student
Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

This intervention comes at a time when many students have been approved for funding but
are not receiving their allowances, while medical and health sciences students remain funded
for only 10 months, despite an academic year that runs for 12 months.
SAMSU believes that the rights to education, health, safety, and security must be protected
by any means necessary. We firmly reject any impression that our call for January and
December allowances is not urgent. In medical training, where the degree runs for six years,
losing allowances for two months each year equates to a full year of funding lost. This is
equivalent to the plight of students who have been approved for funding but are not receiving
any support at all.

Our struggle on this matter has been ongoing since NSFAS began funding medicine. The
disparity leaves medical students vulnerable and contributes to the well-documented high
rates of depression linked to financial hardship. We cannot claim to be training healers while
compromising their very own health and well-being.
SAMSU will therefore continue to engage all relevant stakeholders — constructively and with
urgency — to ensure that this injustice is resolved. We remain committed to representing our
students, promoting their welfare, health, and academic excellence, and safeguarding the
future of our healthcare system. South Africa needs doctors, and this need must be matched
with fair and adequate support for medical students.

 READ MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION FULL STATEMENT CLICK HERE

Issued by:
Ambrose Lekalakala
Secretary General
South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
For inquiries, please contact:
INQ: 060 836 870

 

Date : 24 April 2025
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) is proud to announce a national
academic webinar titled: “Top 10 Chronic Diseases in South Africa”

Dates:

Friday, 25 April 2025 | 16h00 – 20h00
Saturday, 26 April 2025 | 11h00 – 15h00
Platform: | Microsoft Teams

This dynamic, student-led webinar will feature presentations from medical students
representing all ten medical schools in South Africa. Each team will delve into a specific
chronic illness, covering critical topics such as:

Definition & Epidemiology
Etiology & Pathophysiology
Diagnostic Tests & Treatment Options
Prognosis, Patient Education, and Management Considerations

To further enrich the discussion, qualified medical doctors and specialists will be in
attendance to offer expert commentary and engage in constructive dialogue.
This event is open to all – including medical and health sciences students, students from
other faculties and institutions, healthcare professionals, and members of the public
eager to learn more about South Africa’s most prevalent chronic conditions.

RSVP Here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSebEyi8rjBhT8nEXiSDXWpByhBnCkdhPBbTq6-OOeM19gXLuA/viewform?usp=header

The webinar link will be published on the SAMSU website.
www.medicalstudentsunion.co.za

and on our official social media platforms by Friday, 25 April at 12h00.
For any inquiries or further information, please contact:

Qiqa Lukhanji
National Academic Officer
083 435 8611 | ato@medicalstudentsunion.co.za

We look forward to your participation in what promises to be an informative, engaging,
and empowering academic event.

 

Issued by:
Ambrose Lekalakala
Secretary General
South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
For inquiries, please contact:
INQ: 060 836 870

 

Date : 29 January 2025
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : National March for public Healthcare

Dear Colleagues,

The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) stands in full support of the National March organized by the South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) on Friday, 31 January 2025.

We call on all medical students, health sciences students, South African students across all disciplines, healthcare workers, and every citizen who values the right to quality healthcare to stand with us as we march for:

The immediate employment of all qualified healthcare professionals—no doctor, nurse, or healthcare worker should be left to languish in unemployment while hospitals are critically understaffed.

The reversal of salary reductions and exploitative policies such as the shift system, flexy system, and the cancellation of commuted overtime—healthcare workers deserve dignity, not degradation.

Urgent investment in public healthcare infrastructure—no patient should suffer or die due to collapsing hospitals, equipment shortages, and inadequate resources.

The march will begin at 10h00 from Union Buildings (The Triangle) and proceed to the Office of the Minister of Finance.

South Africa’s over 1:3000 doctor-to-patient ratio, below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended 1:1000 (three times lower), is an indictment of a failing system that places profits over people, austerity over lives, and negligence over responsibility. We refuse to accept a healthcare system where preventable deaths occur daily, while trained professionals remain

locked out of employment. This is not just a crisis—it is a betrayal of the constitutional right to healthcare.

For years, SAMATU has been on the ground, relentlessly fighting for healthcare workers and the survival of our public health sector. Now, we must all rise together—students, healthcare workers, and the broader community—to defend what remains and demand what is just.

This is not just about jobs or salaries—this is about the future of healthcare in South Africa. If wedo not act now, we risk an even more broken system where only the wealthy can access care, while the rest are left to suffer in silence.

This is our fight. This is our moment. The time for action is now!

Issued by:
Ambrose Lekalakala
Secretary General
South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
For inquiries, please contact:
INQ: 060 836 870

Date : 20 January 2025
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : SAMSU Statement on the 12-Month NSFAS Allowances

Dear Colleagues,

The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) is elated to announce a monumental victory for health profession students across South Africa. After relentless and passionate advocacy,
SAMSU has successfully secured the alignment of NSFAS monthly allowances with the 12-month academic year for all health professions students, including medical students. This critical adjustment ensures that students will now receive their NSFAS allowances for the entire duration of their studies, providing a significant boost to both their financial security and overall well-being.

Historically, NSFAS only provided allowances for 10 months, leaving medical and other health profession students unsupported during the crucial months of January and December. This funding gap has been shown to severely impact students’ mental health, academic
performance, and physical well-being. Financial hardship is a well-documented factor contributing to the high suicide rates among medical students, making this change a vital step towards safeguarding student welfare.

SAMSU is immensely grateful to the Chief Executive Officer of Universities South Africa (USAf), Dr. Phethiwe Matutu, the Chairperson of the South African Committee of Medical Deans (SACOMD), Prof. Zukiswa Zingela, and the Administrator of the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), Mr. Freeman Nomvalo. Their steadfast support has been pivotal in securing this alignment, ensuring that NSFAS allowances are now in line with the full academic cycle. This means that health profession students will receive financial support for the full 12 months they
spend at university.

Key Highlights:

• NSFAS allowances for health profession students are now aligned with the full 12-month academic year.
• Payments for 2025 allowances were made to universities on 10 January 2025.
• The SAMSU Branch Leadership Teams at all ten medical schools will engage with their respective financial aid offices and health sciences deans to facilitate the disbursement of January allowances from as early as possible.

This achievement is the result of tireless collaboration between SAMSU, our members, SAMATU, media houses, NSFAS, USAf, and SACOMD. Together, we have created a lasting impact on the financial stability and mental well-being of medical and health profession students, ensuring that they can continue their studies without the looming burden of financial insecurity.

SAMSU remains committed to supporting our members and advocating for changes that enhance the quality of education, well-being, and future of our medical professionals. This victory is a powerful reminder of the strength of collective action and the power of student-led
advocacy.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all who contributed to this achievement, and we look forward to the continued success of this initiative in shaping the future of higher education for health professionals

Issued by:
Ambrose Lekalakala
Secretary General
South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
For inquiries, please contact:
INQ: 060 836 870

Date : 15 January 2025
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : Calls for NSFAS to honour January allowances

Dear Colleagues,

The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) celebrates a landmark achievement in the fight for student funding reforms, as NSFAS has confirmed early disbursement of
allowances to universities for all funded students across various careers. For the first time, students will receive their first allowances at the beginning of February, a
significant departure from the historical delays which often extended into late February or early March.

SAMSU welcomes this breakthrough as a victory for all students, achieved through
persistent advocacy. We extend our gratitude to Universities South Africa (USAf) and its CEO, Dr. Phethiwe Matutu, as well as the South African Committee of Medical Deans (SACOMD) chairperson, Prof. Zukiswa Zingela, for their unwavering support. USAf has affirmed its commitment to SAMSU’s call for NSFAS to align allowances with the full academic year, ensuring 12 months of living and accommodation allowances for students.

NSFAS’s decision to make early advance payments to universities by 10 January 2025 is a direct response to SAMSU’s call for reform. This step ensures that institutions are equipped to distribute first allowances to students promptly at the start of the registration period, mitigating the unrest and hardships caused by delayed disbursements in previous years.

While this progress is commendable, SAMSU reiterates its call for January allowances to be distributed to medical students before the end of the month. As health professions students commence their academic year as early as 2 January, it is imperative that they receive support aligned with their academic calendar. SAMSU maintains that students
must not only receive their first allowances on time but that NSFAS must implement 12month allowances to reflect the reality of a full academic year for medical students.

To this end, SAMSU’s Branch Leadership Teams across the ten universities offering
medicine (UL, SMU, UP, WITS, UFS, UKZN, WSU, NMU, SU, and UCT) will engage their
respective finance offices to ensure they are aware of this directive. Deans of all medical schools have also been informed to support SAMSU in advocating for this essential right to health and education.

This historic reform would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of SAMSU and the legacy of the 2015 #FeesMustFall generation, which championed the progressive transformation of NSFAS funding to ensure access to free, quality education for all.

SAMSU remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that every medical student and every NSFAS-funded student in South Africa receives the support they are entitled to. We call on NSFAS to immediately address the outstanding issue of January allowances for medical students and honour the principle of equitable access to education.

Date : 19 November 2024
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : Communiqué to all NSFAS-funded medical students

Dear Colleagues,

We, the South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU), call on all medical students funded by
the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to complete an important survey to gather
crucial statistics that will help us advocate for fairer financial support. The form is now live and
will remain open until November 30, 2024.

Access the Form Here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16tGSfYIBcf8pLv5r1QgPO15TwK3LOcGnbYi8JyLSD2Q/viewfo
rm

The information we collect is vital for our ongoing engagements with NSFAS, the Minister of
Higher Education, and potential sponsors. We are fighting to restructure the current funding
model, which currently only covers 10 months, leaving medical students financially unsupported
during January and December. This affects our physical well-being, mental health, and academic
performance, and ultimately compromises the quality of future healthcare in South Africa.

We encourage you to complete the survey as soon as possible and to continue raising awareness
on social media using the hashtag #12MonthsNSFASAllowanceForMedicalStudents. This is not
only a problem affecting NSFAS-funded students but an issue that jeopardizes the training of
medical professionals and threatens the future of our healthcare system.

As we reflect on the journey to transforming medical education, let us remember the words of
Nelson Mandela:

➢ “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Providing adequate support for medical students is essential to undo the injustices of the past
and build a resilient healthcare system for the future.

Together, let us ensure our voices are heard and our needs are met. Thank you for your active
participation and for continuing to be part of this movement.

Date : 27 August 2024
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : Urgent Call for Donations to Support NMU Students Amid Electricity Outage Crisis

The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) urgently calls upon the public, wellwishers

and all those with a heart for student welfare to extend their support to the
medical students at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) who are currently facing a dire
situation due to a prolonged electricity outage under the Nelson Mandela Bay
Municipality.

For the past four days, NMU students have been grappling with an unexpected power
failure that has disrupted their daily lives and academic routines. Despite the
municipality’s assurance that they are working tirelessly to resolve the issue, it is
projected that the restoration of power may take up to 14 days. During this period,
students are left without essential amenities, significantly impacting their ability to study
and sustain themselves.

In response to this crisis, the NMU management has delivered gas stoves to most student
residences and implemented a cooking rotation plan to reduce congestion, allowing one
representative to cook for four students. However, these measures do not fully address
the urgent needs of the student body, especially in terms of food security and access to
adequate lighting for study purposes.

SAMSU’s Call to Action:

As SAMSU, an organization dedicated to uniting and representing medical students,
promoting academic excellence, and preparing the next generation of doctors in South
Africa, we stand in solidarity with the affected students at NMU. To alleviate their
hardship, we appeal to everyone – individuals, organizations, and businesses – to donate
generously to support these future doctors.

For more information on how to join SAMSU, kindly visit our website:
www.medicalstudentsunion.za

ENDS.

For media enquiries:

Ambrose Lekalakala
SAMSU General Secretary
060 836 8700 | sg@medicalstudentsunion.co.za

Date : 5 August 2024
To : All Esteemed Role Players and Supporters
From : South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU)
Subject : APPRECIATION FOR SUPPORTING PALESTINIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS

Dear Colleagues and Supporters,

The South African Medical Students Union (SAMSU) wishes to express profound
gratitude and appreciation to all those who have played a pivotal role in assisting medical
students from Gaza, Palestine. These students have been given the opportunity to
continue their medical education here in South Africa following the devastating
destruction of their universities.

The significance of education, particularly in the field of medicine, cannot be overstated.
It is not merely a path to professional development, but a cornerstone of rebuilding lives
and communities torn apart by conflict. The efforts made to provide these students with
an opportunity to complete their degrees are commendable and deeply valued.

SAMSU recognises the immense impact that access to quality education has on both
individuals and communities. As an organi sation dedicated to supporting medical
students, SAMSU extends its open doors to these students, welcoming them into our
union. They are now a part of our healthcare profession and training, and we stand ready
to support them as they integrate into our academic and professional community.

Our commitment to education and healthcare is underscored by our hope for a swift and
lasting ceasefire. We fervently wish for a return to peace, where the rights to education
and healthcare are upheld and protected. We call upon all parties involved to seek
amicable solutions that will restore stability and security, enabling all individuals to
pursue their aspirations without fear or obstruction.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this vital cause. Your support has not only
provided these students with a chance to complete their medical training but has also
reaffirmed the collective commitment to humanitarian principles and the right to
education.

Together, we remain hopeful for a future where peace prevails and where every
individual can thrive in a secure and supportive environment.

For more information on how to join SAMSU, kindly visit our website:
www.medicalstudentsunion.ac.za

ENDS.

For media enquiries:

Ambrose Lekalakala
SAMSU General Secretary
060 836 8700