Nehawu bars college students from classes

Thousands of college students in the Eastern Cape were told to leave campus on Thursday by striking Nehawu unionists.

The union was heeding a national call to strike and shutdown the country’s colleges.

The union earlier this week announced its intention to shut down all 230 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) campuses and community education and training (CET) colleges countrywide in protest over labour issues.

Topping their list of grievances was the call for the department of higher education and training (DHET) director-general Gwebinkundla Qonde to step down.

Nehawu’s provincial organiser Kenneth Fitoyi, who was at the Buffalo City TVET college in East London, said similar scenes were playing out at all eight TVET colleges in the province.

“No teaching and learning will take place until our grievances are addressed and Qonde is removed,” he said.

At Buffalo City College’s main campus, students left their lecture halls after being told to do so by union members.

However, students at the college’s St Marks campus refused to leave campus and locked the gate on unionists.

The college’s EFF branch chairperson, Sithasolwazi Nkathu, said they were firmly against students being removed from classes. “We will ensure legal actions are taken against staff members who removed students from class.”

Lectures were also disrupted at Lovedale, King Hintsa and Ingwe colleges.