CPUT ordered to please explain its student discipline

PARLIAMENT’S portfolio committee on higher education, science and technology has ordered the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to immediately review its disciplinary policy to ensure it provides fairness.

Committee chairperson Philly Mapulane said the committee was concerned about the outcry by the Student Representative Council (SRC) that the policy and processes the university employed to discipline them, particularly the student leaders, seemed to be unfair and targeted the leaders to discourage them from being critical of the university’s leadership.

Mapulane said the students complained that too much power seemed to be vested in the vice-chancellor and the dean of students to suspend them.

After a long engagement with the SRC, the committee summoned the university council last week, to immediately review its policy.

“It’s important that the policy is reviewed so that it is not only fair and justifiable, but it is seen to be fair by those at the receiving end of the policy,” said Mapulane.

Mapulane said the committee also requested CPUT to provide a detailed report on the expulsion of the two chairpersons of the trade unions, and further requested them to provide an expenditure report for all labour legal issues and the disciplinary cases process for the past two financial years.

SRC deputy president Sihle Ngxabi said the order by the committee was logical and sound.

CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the institution followed a stringent process before any outcome was reached.

“CPUT emphatically and unequivocally denies that any person or group of people are being targeted,” said Kansley.