UCT student protests on Rhodes unrelenting
THE campaign to resolve transformation issues at UCT and to have the statue of Cecil John Rhodes removed from the campus grounds is gathering momentum.
Citing a lack of transformation and institutionalised racism, the university’s Student Representative Council (SRC) and a student activist group called Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) are demanding that transformation issues be addressed and that the statue be brought down.
The SRC described the statue as a colonialist symbol of apartheid and white privilege.
RMF called for the renaming of other sites at the university yesterday before swarming the Beattie Building, named after Sir John Carruthers Beattie, the first principal and vice-chancellor of the university. RMF spokeswoman Kealeboga Ramaru said Beattie was a racist who did not want black students at the university.
She said other buildings named to honour Jan Smuts and Harry Oppenheimer, and other “racists” would also be targeted.
The group marched through Jammie Plaza, chanting “Max Price here is a black man”, and then entered the Beattie Building.
About 100 students gathered in the foyer and RMF supporters were seen toyi-toying.
A religious studies lecturer, Azila Talit Reisenberger, then entered the middle of the
From Page 1 gathering and displayed a poster with a slogan reading “Don’t Raise Your Voice. Improve Your Argument”.
Reisenberger was confronted by the protesters, who grabbed the poster from her. She appeared visibly shocked before removing herself from the centre of the gathering.
UCT spokeswoman Gerda Kruger said the incident would be discussed with protesters, Reisenberger and the SRC.
On Monday, UCT vice-chancellor Max Price said talks with the SRC were at a stalemate after the student body had staged a walkout during an organised discussion.
Price said the university was launching an accelerated four-week programme of engagement involving all stakeholders.
Kruger said: “The vicechancellor will take the matter to council on a special sitting on April 15 for discussion and decision. The SRC members have withdrawn from engagement, but we are working very hard to re-engage them.”
SRC chairman Ramabina Mahapa said students were refusing to take part in any discussions until a date is set for the statue’s removal.
“On Friday we will be marching to the Bremner Building, where the vicechancellor’s offices are. Our demands are still the same. If they do not give us a response, we will occupy that building and sleep there.”