By Celani Sikhakhane
- UKZN students clashed with police on Monday while protesting what they say are registration fee increases.
- UKZN called it “a minor incident” and disputes the students’ claims about fee amounts.
Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal clashed with police on Monday after marching against what they say are higher registration fees and changes to how the institution handles student debt.
SRC President Aphelele Ngcongo said they were protesting peacefully when police moved in and dispersed them before they could hand over their memorandum to Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize.
Ngcongo claimed registration fees have jumped from around R10,000 to over R20,000 for the next two years. However, UKZN says the actual registration requirement is R7,300 for tuition and R6,800 for residence – increases of 4.15% and 5.70% respectively.
The SRC also said the university has scrapped the acknowledgement of debt form, which used to let students continue studying while still owing fees from the previous year.
Without it, a student owing R78,000 must now pay the full amount before getting their results. Students also said walk-ins were blocked, with only those already registered allowed on campus.
“That’s why we are very concerned,” Ngcongo said.
UKZN called it “a minor incident” outside the Westville campus. The university said it could not confirm whether those involved were even registered students. No violence or property damage was reported.
The university also flagged an old video circulating on social media showing private security shooting at protesting students. UKZN says the footage is outdated because the security company shown is no longer contracted to the institution.
“The spread of misleading material creates unnecessary anxiety among students, staff and the public,” the university said.
Meanwhile, UKZN said the 2026 academic year started smoothly, with more than 9,000 first-year students welcomed across five campuses.
Pictured above: UKZN SRC President Aphelele Ngcongo accused police of blocking students from handing over their memorandum to Prof Nhlanhla Mkhize.
Image source: Supplied
Editor’s note: This story was updated on 11 February 2026 to include UKZN’s actual registration fee amounts and to clarify that the higher fee figure was a claim made by the SRC president.
