Staff Reporter.
University campus protests continued for a second day as students demanded that historical debt be scrapped to allow students to register for the 2021 academic year.
The student protest against financial exclusion, which started in Braamfontein, Johannesburg has now spread to campuses across the country.
Some of their demands include:
- The clearance of historical debts for all students to ensure smooth registration;
- Justice for the family of Mthokozisi Ntumba, who was killed by police on 10 March 2021 in Braamfontein during protests outside Wits;
- An end to police brutality and victimisation of protesting students;
- The immediate provision of post-graduate funding;
- Laptops for students as the academic year starts;
- All student allowances to be released in March, at the start of the academic year, as “landlords are already harassing students for payment”;
- Free registration for all students;
- A 0% increase in fees for the 2021 academic year; and
- The return of all students to campus under lockdown level 1 (students who are from homes with no connectivity are already being excluded from online registration and classes).
These demands come after a week of protests as students across the country prepare to register for the 2021 academic year.
Meanwhile a group of protesting University of Cape Town (UCT) students has occupied the campus’ Kramer building on Friday.
They are demanding that Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng and university management address their financial struggles face to face.
They also want around 2,500 financially excluded students be allowed to register.
The building houses the campus’ student financial aid office.
The university said it has more than 1,600 students with historic debt, amounting to R88 million.
UCT said over the past few years, it had put measures in place to assist eligible students with historic debt – with around R30 million set aside this year.
Elsewhere twenty-four students from the University of the Free State were arrested on Thursday morning for blocking a road while protesting.
Free State police spokesperson Brig Motantsi Makhele said Bloemfontein public order police were deployed at the entrance of the university after receiving several complaints of students blocking the road.
“On their arrival, they assessed the situation and at about 11.30am a group of about 50 students were seen blocking the crossing at the main entrance in Nelson Mandela Road. They were warned and given time to clear the road. They did not adhere to the warning and started to sit down in the middle of the road, disturbing the flow of traffic,” Makhele explained.
He said the police then used stun grenades to disperse the students. He said the arrested students will appear in court soon.