All academic activities at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) campuses will resume on Wednesday, 12 October after early recess due to #feesmustfall protests.
TUT spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said although the recess period had started earlier to as a result of the national higher education protest situation, it had not yet settled down to the extent that was expected.
“The decision to only resume academic activities on 12 October was prompted by a statement issued by various student bodies nationally, and in view of the possible risk that the statements in this document might render the university not conducive for academic activity.”
Ruyter said the university was committed to engaging with the elected student leaders on an ongoing basis.
“During various meetings that took place over the past three weeks, most of the student concerns have been addressed.”
Ruyter said students had understood that certain issues fell within the scope of council and others were yet to be determined by the department of higher education and training.
She said over the years TUT had ensured that students fees remained as affordable as possible, “notably among the lowest in the country, while providing our students with quality education”.
Ruyter said to further assist students, TUT had created a bursary and scholarship fund under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Mduduzi Manana.
“We urge our students and the broader society of South Africa to remain patient as we await the report by the task team appointed by the president on fee free higher education.”
TUT students said the university would not return to normalcy until their call for Government to provide free education was taken into consideration.
EFF student command’s Tshephang Mokgathla said: “We are not just shutting down TUT, this is in line with calls from students nationwide to make sure universities don’t continue with business as normal.”
Last month Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande announced that universities would be allowed to determine fee increment for 2017, which annoyed students.
“We want free education, we have made it clear to the minister that we are not going to compromise on that one. It is very surprising that he still went ahead and announced that fees would be increasing in the next academic year,” said Mokgathla.
The EFF student command and the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania have urged students to join them in the protest.
“Students know that we are fighting for them and they have joined us, some will join as time goes on but we have made it clear that studying will not go on as normal while our demands have not been met,” said Mokgathla.
TUT’s Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa and Pretoria central campuses were shut down while #feesmustfall talks were still underway to find a solution to the standoff.
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