So Many Questions

The government’s announcement that universities are permitted to increase fees has caused more violence and derailed exam preparations. Chris Barron asked University of the Witwatersrand acting vice-chancellor Tawana Kupe . . . Has the dilly-dallying of the government done you any favours?

Ideally what should have happened is when they announced 0% fee increases for this year, the commission [set up by Zuma] should have kicked in.

Could the announcement’s timing have been any worse for you?

No, it couldn’t. This is late in the year for us. The timing is inconvenient. Not just for students but for parents and many others. It has created uncertainty.

A bit like throwing a bomb onto campus and leaving you to defuse it?

Well, not quite. But yes, it created a destabilising element because of the reaction.

Has there been enough liaison between the commission and universities?

No. Particularly in relation to when we need to know things. Ideally in June/July we need to begin consultations with students about fee increases in order to factor into our finance committee and council meetings and construct a budget for the following year Was it a mistake for universities to surrender your right to decide on fee increases? It was a particular situation last year. We didn’t surrender our rights. One could argue that our rights were taken away because of the developments around #FeesMustFall.

Didn’t it raise unrealistic expectations about zero fee increases?

It changed the situation in which universities governed their own affairs in relation to fee increases. But the universities acted in good faith. A commission was being announced and an interim measure was being put in place. Nobody, including the universities, disagreed that the fundamental issue of fees rising to beyond affordability needed to be addressed.

But there could have been closer co-operation of the commission with the needs of universities?

Yes, it could have been closer. But also the government should have given the commission tighter timelines so that it would fit in with how universities operate. It kicked off late, extended its call for submissions and then it was late in starting to hear submissions.

Did you warn the minister this would create an impossible situation?

Yes, but to be fair to him he doesn’t operate the commission.

Another symptom of a government that doesn’t seem to know where it’s going or how to get there?

I think over the years not much longterm planning has been put into it.

And universities are now paying the penalty?

Yes. But despite inadequate funding some of our universities have been doing very well in the rankings, which just shows what they could deliver to South Africa, Africa and the world.

Are the protests going to threaten these rankings?

Definitely, they will undercut our ability to sustain ourselves. Because we don’t compete with ourselves, we compete in a global arena. Two or three years from now you will see the impact of these rolling protest actions and shutdowns and suspension of classes. Like any enterprise of this nature you need certainty of circumstances for students to do well, academics to produce good research and for these institutions to become really cutting-edge.

What has been the impact on donors?

No impact so far. But these things have a time lag. Donations we asked for years ago are only coming in now. But a heightened element of uncertainty is not good.

What will your fee increase be next year?

We don’t know yet. The protests have delayed our normal processes and consultations that precede these decisions. All I can say is that we’re running on empty.

Will exams go ahead?

We absolutely hope they’ll go ahead, so we’re making plans for that.

We’ve just heard of more shutdowns. How can you be hopeful?

Drawing on what happened last year. We reach a point where there are negotiations and people just say: “We are going to write exams.”

Why are you not protecting those who want to attend classes?

We are trying to put in place adequate security measures and have discussions with people who have disrupted classes, to say it is in the best interests of everybody to stop the violation of the rights of others.

Discussions don’t seem to be having any effect, do they?

They often take time. The same happened last year and eventually we did write exams.

Only this year, in many cases. Is that going to happen again?

With these disruptions and shutdowns, the inevitable effect is a postponement of the timetable.

So you’re failing in your responsibility to ensure students can write exams on time?

Nobody wants to write exams with teargas flying all over.

Are the protesters behind the violence bona fide students?

We have asked ourselves that question. From the profile of students we have seen, they are definitely our students.

What’s their real motivation, do you think?

Their belief that education has been commodified and that you need a different model of funding education.