Fees protest student permitted to graduate

GRADUATION day is supposed to be a happy day for students, but for a former student representative council president, activism during the Fees Must Fall protests nearly cost him his big day.

Mosibudi Rasethaba is graduating with a BA Psychology at the University of Pretoria under strict conditions from the institution.

Last month, the university informed Rasethaba that he would not be allowed on campus for the graduation ceremony because he was suspended.

His father, Marwala Rasethaba, said: “He was suspended from the institution last year after he was arrested for being part of the protests. He was allowed to write his exams and he passed, but the university has said they cannot allow him to graduate without conditions.”

Rasethaba was arrested last year and released on R1 000 bail for his participation in Fees Must Fall protests at UP.

His father said: “It is unfair for them to not want him to attend his graduation. Studying is also part of leadership. He is highly disturbed because of all of this.”

One of the conditions that his son was given to be allowed to attend the ceremony was that he post on social media that the university had now allowed him to graduate.

“When he first received the letter saying he cannot graduate, he put it online, and other students said if he does not graduate, there would be no ceremony.

“The university wants him to tell everyone to not disrupt the ceremony, but he does not have that kind of power,” he said.

Rasethaba has now posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages that he will be allowed to graduate.

He was also told to “desist from sending or being complicit in the dissemination of threatening messages to the university in relation to graduation ceremonies”.

Rasethaba said: “I have never threatened the university in any way and I am not sure why this would be a condition.”

UP spokesperson Rikus Delport said Rasethaba had been the only student not allowed to attend graduation, based on the criminal charges against him.

“Mr Rasethaba has been granted permission to attend,” he said.