UJ ‘violates’ court order

The twenty University of Johannesburg (UJ) students who were served with suspension letters after a protest against academic exclusion have expressed anger over the university’s supposed violation of a court order.

After the university barred them from registering for the 2014 academic year, the students – who call themselves the UJ20 – applied to the South Gauteng High Court for an urgent interdict that would allow them to register for their respective courses at the university.

According to a statement released by the UJ20, the students were granted a court order that instructed the university to allow them to register and to immediately grant them access to campuses for class attendance.

“When the students went to campus to register, they were barred from entering and, after much consultation and after they called the police to serve the order, university security said the students would be escorted in groups of four to register, and would then be escorted out of campus. The students declined the offer which is blatantly contempt of court,” the statement read.

The court order clearly states that the students aren’t allowed to attend unauthorised protests, and aren’t allowed to enter university residences.

After the incident, deputy vice-chancellor Derek van der Merwe allegedly sent an email to one of the students stating that the university was correct to escort the students to classes and back out, and that the students were to be granted limited movement on campus.

“Once you have registered, you must provide Protection Services with a list of the modules for which you have been registered. Arrangements will then be made to allow you access to the relevant campuses for the purposes of attending classes. When you are not attending classes, you will not be allowed access to the campus, in terms of your suspension,” Van der Merwe wrote.

The UJ20 said these restrictions deny them access to facilities such as the library, computer labs, the psychologist and medical facilities, and even the toilets.

“These new conditions imposed by the university are unreasonable, unfair and in violation of the court order,” the UJ20 stated.

Editor’s note: The university is yet to respond to Northcliff Melville Times’ questions.