Students to march to Union Buildings; Habib to meet Zuma
PRETORIA – Adam Habib has vowed to bring the students' grievances before the President.
Wits and UJ students have resolved to taking their campaign for free education to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. They will do so on 23 October. The day before, Wits University students marched to the University of Johannesburg to enlist the help of students disrupting UJ and its classes.
Struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathadra visited students at Wits to give them support and words of encouragement in the students’ pursuit of free education. Students thereafter marched to the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House to hand over a memorandum.
Police and JMPD members escorted thousands of students over the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Newtown to Sauer Street. Students congregated outside Luthuli House singing struggle songs. A memorandum was handed over to ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe.
Afterwards, students made their way back to Wits with assistance of police, where they gathered in front of Senate House, which the students have dubbed ‘Solomon Mahlangu House’. Student leaders spoke to students and a unanimous decision was taken to join the protest in Pretoria. Student leaders said that buses and trains would be made available to transport students to Pretoria.
Wits Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Habib then released a statement that he and the other Vice Chancellors and Chairs of the Wits Council, and student leaders, would meet President Jacob Zuma on 23 October. “We will voice support for the students’ struggle and their demands,” he said.
“We hope, in this meeting to reach a decisive agreement that will see an immediate resolution to the short-term crisis, and a substantive plan to resolve the long-term challenge of underfunding for higher education.” Prof Habib added that he and his colleagues were dismayed to see excessive police action against students recently, and at Wits the police have been kept off the campus because “we do not believe that force should be used to prevent the expression of legitimate demands by peaceful protesters”.
He asked police to exercise restraint during the march to the Union Buildings. Gift of the Givers pledged to support students with food and amenities for the day.
Follow up-to-date reporting on the protest by following Gaahele Mokgoro on Twitter at @Treaka
Related articles:
UJ and Wits unite under #feesmustfall banner
