Students at Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) have formally appealed to the institution’s administration to suspend the upcoming first-semester examinations amid the ongoing industrial action by workers.
This follows a memo issued last Friday by Registrar Sipho Mhlanga informing students that examinations would commence next Monday after a study break that began yesterday. The venues, according to the memo, would be communicated in due course.
The exams had earlier been indefinitely deferred after the industrial action began on January 12. Students from the Faculty of Health Sciences were initially scheduled to begin writing on that date, while those in the Faculty of Education were set to start on January 13.
In response to the administration’s announcement, the Student Representative Council (SRC) appealed for a review of the decision, citing concerns over fairness, credibility and student welfare under what they described as “extraordinary circumstances”.
In a formal letter addressed to the Dean of Student Affairs, students requested that the examination timetable be reconsidered. They referenced SANU Regulation G 4.3, which stipulates that the Examination Board must include teaching staff from relevant disciplines as well as duly appointed external examiners.
With many lecturers participating in the strike, students argued that the regulation may not be fully complied with, potentially compromising the legitimacy and integrity of the examination process.
They also raised concerns over the marking of scripts, fearing that external markers unfamiliar with SANU’s teaching methods and assessment standards could be engaged.
Further concerns were expressed about the possibility of exams being conducted outside university premises. Students argued that unfamiliar environments could cause anxiety and psychological distress, negatively affecting performance.
They additionally questioned how academic committees responsible for handling special cases and appeals would function during the strike, stating that many structures appeared non-operational.
The students have therefore appealed for the postponement of examinations until normal conditions are restored, arguing that this would safeguard fairness, transparency, institutional credibility and student wellbeing.
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Responding to the concerns, Registrar Sipho Mhlanga said the decision to hold exams at an alternative venue had initially been suggested by students who were worried about prolonged delays since January 12.
However, he noted that the students’ position changed on Monday, alleging that some had claimed they were threatened by certain lecturers who warned they would fail if they proceeded to write the exams.
Mhlanga said the request for further postponement would be deliberated upon by the administration.
