Varsities on high alert as fees battle reignites
Western Cape universities are on high alert after threats of a national shutdown following the postponement of the 2017 fees announcement.
|||Cape Town - Western Cape universities are on high alert after threats of a national shutdown following Department of Higher Education (DHEF) Minister Blade Nzimande’s postponement of the 2017 fees announcement.
University of Cape Town spokesman Elijah Moholola said the university was aware of reported threats to disrupt activities on campuses next week.
Moholola said threats of a national shutdown emanate from “gross misinformation” around the 2017 fee increase and the university had not arrived at any decision on what the fees will be for next year.
“We urge students to desist from any actions that might lead to campus activities being disrupted.
“The university would like to reiterate that no decision has been taken on fee increases. UCT will continue engaging students and all other stakeholders on the 2017 fees.”
Luthando Tyalibongo of the University of the Western Cape expressed the same sentiments.
“The University of the Western Cape is aware of the possibility of protests at universities across the country, we are monitoring the situation.
“We await the decision by the DHET on fees for 2017, and will engage with our students and other stakeholders in order to ensure that we continue to have a conducive environment for studies,” Tyalibongo said.
Western Cape universities said they were in the process of negotiating fees for next year with the relevant student bodies.
Cape Peninsula University of Technology spokeswoman Lauren Kansley said: “The university is engaging with students on fees for 2017. Normally, the process is concluded in November.”
However, Fees Must Fall (FMF) movement members across the province said “a shutdown is inevitable”.
UCT’s FMF member Athabile Nonxuba said: “Anything from now on may happen. We always knew that this was going to happen. This time it will not only be universities, but FET colleges and high schools.”
CPUT FMF member Vuyani Moerani accused the government of “taking students for a ride”.
“Nzimande is taking students for granted. The government must brace itself for whatever is coming. There are two parallel structures, Blade’s Task team on the increment and then the president himself started the Fees Commission, and both these structures are doing the same thing.
“Where did the money for 2016 come from? Councillors are being handed R309 million. We know there is money in South Africa.”
A recommendation made by the Council of Higher Education was an increase of no more than 6.3 percent.
Last year, hundreds of Western Cape FMF student protesters marched to Parliament, where former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was delivering his medium-term budget policy statement, calling for Nzimande to address them.
The protest soon turned violent with police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets at the students, and at least 30 students were arrested.
There was also violence across campuses. At UWC, protesting students broke windows and set up burning barricades on many of the campus’s roads and torched buildings. Damage was estimated around R12m.
CPUT was also vandalised and its financial aid building was torched.
FMF members at UWC and Stellenbosch University, said although they were communicating with other universities, they had not yet met with students to discuss the next action.
Simone Cupido, from Stellenbosch said: “We will meet the next week and discuss a way forward.”
zodidi.dano@inl.co.za
Cape Argus