Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has announced the postponement of its operations with immediate effect due to the ongoing student protests. Around 1 000 students met at the Bellville Campus to express their grievances, which quickly escalated and created a hostile environment for both the staff and students.
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The protest is centred around the new policy that was introduced by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which requires students to study courses with more than 60 credits in order to receive funding.
Reports indicate that protestors set two campus buildings alight and torched private cars.
Videos of the protest were posted on Twitter by @Izu_musiq
Some building were burnt… pic.twitter.com/OzuEJrXbs2
— Izu Sichinga (He/Him/His) ???????️? (@Izu_musiq) May 10, 2023
The university management released a statement announcing the immediate closure of the institution.
‘Dear Staff and Students, Continued violent disruptions, torching of buildings and wanton attacks on institutional infrastructure, have forced university management to close all campuses indefinitely. Unruly students, acting in bad faith, with the sole purpose of making the university dysfunctional have left Management with no other choice but to act swiftly and decisively. The safety of staff and students is our primary concern at this stage.
‘All operations, including all academic activities, will cease with immediate effect. All residences must be vacated by Friday, 12 May 2023 by 4pm. Transport to key areas for students living in other provinces will be provided. Details of the transport arrangements will be communicated during the course of today.’
The university has called for calm and assured the public that it is working to resolve the matter.
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Picture: Screenshot of video by @Izu_musiq / Twitter