Wits management agree to mediation with protesting students

Wits University’s management have agreed to enter into mediation with the campus Student Representative Council (SRC) amid ongoing protests.

The university said the mediation follows last week’s meetings with student leaders after they called a ceasefire at the higher education institution.

Protests

Wits students have been protesting for over two weeks, demanding the university allow students owing R150 000 or less to register for the 2023 academic year, including access to affordable accommodation.

They also took their demonstrations to the private home of Vice Chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi’s “to put pressure” on him to accede to their demands.

Proposal welcomed

Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel said the university welcomed the proposal for mediation as it showed a way forward.

“Following engagements with the current members of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) last Wednesday and Friday, and given the statement released by the SRC on Wednesday, management welcomes the proposal to enter a mediation process as soon as possible and has communicated as such with the SRC. This is indeed a constructive way forward. 

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs will work with the SRC and management to arrange a convenient time and appropriate terms for such a process, as well as to engage a professional mediator in the coming days,” she said.

ALSO READ: Wits and SRC agree to de-escalate volatile situation

Academic programme

Patel said the academic program will continue as normal.

“As we enter the fourth week of term, the academic program continues. All University activities will continue as planned.”

Setting the record straight

Last week, Wits set the record straight to some of the students demands saying it committed R150 million for bursaries and scholarships for the 2023 academic year.

The university also added that it administered R1.6 billion in financial aid, scholarships and bursaries which helped over 26 000 students.

On the registration of students who owe R150 000 or less, the university reiterated that it could not accede to the request.

 “Wits cannot agree to this request as it amounts to hundreds of millions of rand, which would make the university unsustainable,” the university said.

ALSO READ: Students threaten to ‘burn down’ Wits VC’s home if demands not met