MULTIMEDIA: Three top varsities erupt in protest

More than 20 University of Cape Town (UCT) students were arrested by police on 20 October for violating a court order obtained by the UCT management. The court order prohibited students from occupying property of the university. This after they joined in the protest started by Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) on 14 October.

Police used stun grenades to disperse students at the university in the early hours of the morning. Three of South Africa’s biggest universities have been affected by student protests over rising tuition fees that have emanated from Wits University to the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Rhodes University.

Students are protesting against the proposed fee increments by the universities citing that the increments are unaffordable. Rhodes University and Wits remain closed and all academic activities have been cancelled in the wake of the protests. In the grip of protest, the ANC released a statement citing that they understood the plight of the students and that the students were legitimate in their fight to reduce fee increments.

“These legitimate protests underscore the very important call that affordability cannot be the barometer that is used to determine whether the youth of our country have access to education – the only tool with which we can transform the world as immortalised by Former ANC President Nelson Mandela,” the statement said.

The ANC in its statement added that it remained committed to the progressive realisation of free education at all levels. They said that they welcomed the decision of the Minister of Higher Education and Training to convene a meeting with the vice chancellors of higher education institutions, to broker a solution to the protest.

Wits University Council, which oversees the fees increment, would not meet with students on 19 October after the students gained entry to Senate House after breaking the doors, but sent a statement to the students via the university’s website which said that they agreed that the large fees increment was a barrier to access for talented but financially stressed students who are prevented from realising their academic ambitions. Furthermore, the statement said that council had agreed that all fees increments be suspended pending renewed negotiations between the university and the students.

However, the students vowed to continue striking until there were no talks of increase in their fees. Wits SRC president Nompendulo Mkhatshwa said that they would continue to strike until the council met and agreed with them.

“This has in so far been a peaceful protest, we will continue to be peaceful and now we will be studying while we protest in order to be prepared for exams,” she said.

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