The top-ranking Cape Town learning institutions, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the University of Cape Town (UCT), are still shut down and disrupted due to student protests.
Also read: Campus-wide shutdown called by UCT’s Student Representative Council
There continue to be delays to the start of academic activities as students protest fee blocks and other matters.
While UCT has had a suspension of classes, UWC has had the majority of classes running through the disruptions.
Students are protesting the following:
- Lifting of fee blocks before the commencement of the 2023 academic year.
- After the fee block is lifted, the registration period must stay open for at least five working days.
- Students excluded from residences who are academically eligible to continue must be provided with student housing.
- UCT must conduct a policy review in which fee blocks and financial exclusions are eradicated indefinitely.
- Academic work should be suspended until fee blocks are removed and extended registrations are no longer accepted.
The main entrances to the institutions have been barricaded; however, a few students are gaining entrance through walking paths.
Negotiations are still ongoing between student representatives and the academic staff.
Spokesperson for UWC, Gasant Abarder, told Cape {town} Etc:
Management is continuing to engage with student leadership on these matters. Placement in residence and registration is an ongoing process at the moment.
More specifically:
- The University is looking into the cases of first-years who had received offers but cannot register, and all cases presented will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. It should be noted that the University must work within certain enrolment targets and adhere to registration deadlines.
- An additional list of students approved for funding has been received from NSFAS and more students will be financially cleared for registration in the case of NSFAS students who have been waiting for financial clearance.
- The first-year students who are currently on waiting lists for Unibell Residence placements will receive preference over students who have received accommodation offers but have not arrived on campus at this stage.
- Those who have appealed with respect to residential placement will receive their responses as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, teaching and learning at UCT have been moved online.
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