Small fires could still be found on UCT’s campus on Tuesday after a student protest over the alleged breach of a mediation agreement between the university’s management and the Student Representative Council (SRC).
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The protests are over the alleged eviction of unregistered students.
According to the SRC, this followed weeks of engagement and mediation after numerous students were sent letters of financial exclusion.
For a number of weeks, students have been protesting over fee blocks, housing and issues related to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
A recent sitting of a Student Parliament saw some SRC members submit letters of resignation, while a motion of no confidence and the disbanding of the SRC or a reshuffle was reportedly part of the proposed motions, but ‘fell short due to constitutional limitations’, an insider told IOL.
However, the SRC has not released any formal communications on this matter.
‘We have been informed that disgruntled students who were served with eviction notices toppled tables and bins on the premises on Monday night,’ said police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie, adding that Public Order Police were deployed to the area outside the university to monitor the situation and ‘to be on standby should the need arise to respond rapidly’, after students continued to block roads on Upper Campus on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, on Monday, UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said that about three lectures were disrupted in the Kramer Law Building and later in the evening, when protestors blocked Baxter Road and started small fires on lower and upper campus.
The university was granted an interim interdict over the protests by the Western Cape High Court in February.
‘Management hopes to resolve the situation speedily and to work collaboratively with the SRC in the best interest of the UCT community,’ Moholola said.
‘It should be stated in no uncertain terms that, contrary to claims made, there has been no breach of the mediation agreement on fee blocks reached with the SRC in March 2023.’
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