Uproar at Wits as nine-point solution is released

Even after President Jacob Zuma announced a zero per cent fees increase, students are making more demands putting their exams at risk. Earlier on 26 October, students barged into a meeting that Wits University Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Habib was holding with Wits Council members.

Students demanded that Prof Habib go down to Senate House to address their issues. Once inside Senate House, students spoke out about their issues, with outsourcing a contentious issue that they demanded immediate response to. “Our mothers and fathers work here under appalling conditions and we demand that the university deal with this issue now,” said one student.

Professor Habib read out the meeting notes to the students which stated that no one would be punished for being part of the two-week fees protest and that exams remained a thorny issue as long as students remained protesting. Prof Habib pledged that the university would abide by the zero per cent fees increment as announced at the Union Buildings on 23 October.

At the same time, Wits University’s Senior Executive Team released a statement involving nine measures to “get the academic programme back on track”. These included:

•  “There will be no increase in fees for 2016. This means that academic, residence and any other fees will not be increased. The Presidency has agreed to underwrite the cost of this, provided that the University makes some contribution.
•  “The University is prepared to address the increase in the upfront-fee payment.
•  “The University recognises that the protests have adversely affected the ability of students to write their examinations. It therefore commits to restructuring the academic programme and examination timetable.
•  “The University recognises that outsourcing is an exploitative practice. The university commits to establishing its own internal commission. This is in addition to the President’s commission. The internal commission will be chaired by the chairperson of council and will comprise the chairperson of Finco and representatives from all stakeholders, including students, unions and others. It may also include an independent expert. This commission will investigate the effects of outsourcing services on the University, the cost structures associated with insourcing and possible alternative models.
•  “The university undertakes to find financial resources to support the children of all workers employed in currently outsourced services, provided that these children qualify for admission to the University.
•  “There will be no disciplinary processes against students who were involved in legitimate forms of protest.
•  “The University commits to drawing up a workers’ charter.
•  “The University agrees, in principle, to make every effort to resolve any other outstanding issue that the students may want to address in good faith.
•  “Should the students agree to these measures, the university will commit to calling a General Assembly.

“On the basis of this, the academic programme must resume on Tuesday, 27 October 2015. It is imperative that we do not lose the academic year and jeopardise the future potential careers of our students.”

The meeting continues between students and Prof Habib.

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