The SRC is hoping to raise R1 million for financially needy Wits students.
It will be hosting a Humanitarian Benefit Concert whereby all proceeds will go into a fund to help support academically deserving students.
“No student who is passing must be kicked out of the University because of his/her financial background,” said SRC president Morris Masutha.
The concert is to be held on Friday 27 August with featured performances by well-known artists such as Naves, Sphectacular and DJ Tumelo.
The SRC hopes that this event will encourage students to donate money in the spirit of ‘students helping their fellow students’.
“In the same manner in which we have declared war against academic exclusion, we have also declared a serious war against financial exclusion,” said Masutha.
The Humanitarian Benefit concert will be followed by an SRC Fundraising week.
“During this week, we’ll encourage students to donate whatever they can to the SRC Humanitarian fund,” said SRC treasurer Tshepo Ndlovu.
“For example, if 30 000 Wits students donate R10 to the Humanitarian fund, that will give us R300 000 into the humanitarian fund, which in turn can pay registration fees for 40 students,” he added.
The SRC is hoping to raise over R1 Million which it says will help “fight the financial/academic genocide on poor students”.
The Humanitarian Fund was established last year and according to Masutha aims to benefit students “who are left with outstanding fees at the end of the academic year”.
“Our main struggle is the struggle for a fully subsidized higher education for all academically deserving but financially needy students,” said Masutha.
“However, in every revolution there must be short term and long-term goals. We can’t just sit down and wait for government to provide free education; young people must not be fooled, education is the only guaranteed route to economic freedom in our lifetime,” he added.
