A letter, dated March 3 and sent to South African students in Wuhan, China and signed by the director-general in the office of the Free State Premier, Kopung Ralikontsane, states that while the South African government is giving citizens an option to opt-out of repatriation, the executive committee of the Free State government has decided that all the students must return to South Africa. 

According to the letter, three students have indicated that they do not wish to return to South Africa, but it reads that this will not be possible and those who stay will do so at their own risk and forfeit any further financial assistance from the Free State government. 

The premier’s director of communications, Setjhaba Maphalla, was given an opportunity to authenticate the letter, which has been shared with Maverick Citizen, on Wednesday but did not respond to requests to do so. 

One of the students, who recently graduated in human resources, said she was very upset as they had been told to wait in China until they received their degree certificates. 

“Now I am going home with nothing,” she said. 

The letter stated that the Free State government will liaise with the universities to ensure that the students get their certificates. 

“So, we will be at home without our degrees like some of the students who graduated last year June/July and are still waiting for their documents. This is really sad because we stayed here in China so that we can go back home with our documents. If not for those documents we would have been home with our loved ones, and now they are telling us this,” she said. 

In a statement issued after a meeting last month with the students’ parents, the office of the premier said the Chinese consul-general, Tang Zongdong, had assured it that the students were being given free meals, face masks and online tuition. 

According to this statement, there were 38 South African students studying at Hubei University and 61 at Wuhan University. 

“At Hubei University, only 34 remain, and at Wuhan University only 22 remain, while the rest have since returned to South Africa prior to the outbreak, for internships and holidays.” 

According to the statement, there are 91 South African students currently quarantined in China, while 51 had returned to South African shores, for internships or holidays, prior to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. 

“The Free State students in Wuhan, while not directly infected, are also affected by the imposed quarantine regulations which restrict movement of people in an attempt to limit the spread of the disease. 

“Insofar as the Free State students are concerned, their movement is restricted to the university residences, where they have been living all along. They receive drinking water, milk, bread, and fruits once a week for free.  The students have not been transferred to other areas or localities. They reported difficulties they have endured that include obtaining some essential supplies such as additional face masks, and other supplies for their basic personal needs. 

“As per regular communication with the Free State students in the affected areas, through the necessary protocols and channels, the Free State government has increased their stipend by 50% during the prevalent health crisis, so that they can acquire additional basic supplies they require. This will apply to all students currently still in China,” the statement reads. 

A student at Wuhan University said not all schools were getting free food.

“My school doesn’t get. But I know other South Africans are getting food every day. They do give us masks. The online tuition is just Chinese, not major modules. But I disagree that they allow us to go to the supermarket. We are not allowed to go out of the yard.” MC