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Update:

The protest at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has escalated. The university’s students’ representative council has issued a statement saying that management opted to use force on students.

There have been reports of stunt grenades being used on the students who have planned a peaceful protest.

A “state of emergency” has been declared by UCT SRC:

The SRC is calling on all students to assemble at the Sarah Baartman Stairs at 1pm for an address by the Dean of Law and the university executives as they address the reasons for use of force.

Videos of police presence at Middle Campus are circulating:

*Videos contain content that may be disturbing for sensitive viewers. Strong language.*

Footage: Supplied

Students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) reignited their protests on Thursday night in response to the institution’s decision not to remove fee blocks for students with outstanding debts.

Also read: Campus-wide shutdown called by UCT’s Student Representative Council

The Economic Freedom Fighters Students’ Command, the University of Cape Town Branch, expressed its dissatisfaction by making a statement on Twitter, which read:

“The university cannot continue as normal when 7435 students are financially excluded. We demand the lifting of fee blocks to allow the registration of deserving students. No interdict will silence our activism or deter us. No retreat! No surrender!”

Video:

After a council meeting on Monday, the University of Cape Town (UCT) decided not to remove fee blocks for students with previous debts. On the agenda for the meeting was the Student Representative Council’s (SRC) suggestion to lift the fee blocks as a general concession.

According to the university, the amount of student fee debt has increased almost four-fold, with some students not making any payments. The current cumulative historic debt of UCT students is over R385 million. Over 50% of this sum corresponds to fees owed for the year 2022.

Also read:

UCT granted an interim interdict barring students from disruptive activity

Picture: @EFFSC_UCT / Twitter 

Videos: Supplied

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