Over 300,000 South African graduates cannot receive their degrees because of unpaid student debt. They studied, passed, and completed their qualifications — yet their futures remain blocked.

Sign this petition to support the Student Debt Relief Bill and demand that government cancel historic student debt and allow graduates to receive the qualifications they earned.

South Africa is facing a silent crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of young people completed their studies at universities and colleges, yet they are unable to graduate or receive their qualifications because of outstanding student debt. These graduates worked hard, passed their courses, and fulfilled their academic requirements — but their futures remain locked behind unpaid fees.

According to public reports, student debt in South Africa has reached billions of rands, and thousands of graduates cannot access employment opportunities because their certificates and degrees are withheld by institutions of higher learning.

This crisis traps young people in a painful cycle:

• They cannot get their qualification because of debt.
• They cannot get decent jobs without their qualification.
• Without employment, they cannot repay the debt.

The result is lost opportunity, rising unemployment, and deepening inequality.

The Student Debt Relief Bill, initiated by Sihle Lonzi, proposes a solution to this national crisis by establishing a Student Debt Relief Fund that can assist students in settling historical debt with institutions of higher learning. The Bill also proposes that students who have completed their academic requirements should receive their qualifications regardless of outstanding debt.

This proposal is about more than money. It is about justice, dignity, and opportunity.

Young people pursued education believing it would be the path to a better life for themselves and their families. Instead, many now face unemployment simply because their certificates are withheld.

South Africa cannot afford to waste the potential of an entire generation of educated young people.

Passing the Student Debt Relief Bill would:

• Allow graduates to finally receive their qualifications.
• Unlock employment opportunities for thousands of young people.
• Strengthen South Africa’s economy by enabling skilled graduates to work.
• Restore hope to families who sacrificed to send their children to university.

Education should be a pathway to opportunity — not a lifetime sentence of debt.

We therefore call on Parliament and the Government of South Africa to:

1. Support and pass the Student Debt Relief Bill without delay.
2. Establish a transparent and accountable Student Debt Relief Fund.
3. Ensure that students who completed their studies receive their qualifications immediately.
4. Work with universities and colleges to resolve the student debt crisis permanently.
5. This is a historic opportunity to unlock the potential of thousands of graduates and strengthen our nation’s future.

We urge all South Africans — students, parents, educators, workers, business leaders, and civil society — to unite behind this cause.

No graduate should be denied their future because of debt.

Sign this petition today and demand that Parliament Cancel Student Debt and Pass the Student Debt Relief Bill.