Protest goes national

This morning, over 10 000 students, will march to the Union Buildings to meet President Jacob Zuma to discuss their grievances surrounding the raising of university fees. This, after a week of protests which saw students storming Cape Town’s Parliament building only to be ejected by police in riot gear using stun grenades.

The shutdown of the Rhodes University campus and all academic activities which began on Monday - also in protest at the minimum initial payment (MIP) and the issue of fees being unaffordable for many students - has continued throughout the week.

On Wednesday, the campus-based protest grew as student leaders synchronised with leaders at other campuses countrywide to elevate #RUShutdown to #NationalShutdown.

These protests are against anticipated fee hikes and the Minimum Initial Payment. Tomorrow morning, over 10 000 students, Rhodes representatives potentially among them, will march to the Union Buildings to meet President Jacob Zuma. President Zuma met the Vice-Chancellors and Chairpersons of Councils on 6 October and they had agreed to establish a task team to explore solutions to short-term student funding challenges.

On Monday 19 October Rhodes students started off the protest by burning tyres and blocking all entrances to the campus.

In light of the shut downs around the country – especially at Wits and UCT - University Vice Chancellors met with Higher Education and Training Minister, Blade Nzimande in Cape Town on Tuesday, where Nzimande agreed on a 6% ceiling for fee increases for 2016.

Students rejected the proposal.

While Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene on Wednesday delivered his medium term budget policy statement, students stormed Parliament. They were supported by EFF members in Parliament, who were kicked out after they disrupted Nene’s speech by chanting the slogan, “Fees must fall”.

Earlier this week, Rhodes Student Representative Council (SRC) secretary general Lindokuhle Zungu said the government had to intervene to solve the situation at the campus.

“We are obviously fighting for the right cause here,” Zun- gu told Grocott’s Mail. “If our demands are not met we will see what steps to take.

“We understand the university has financial obligations and that an income to sustain this is required; however, we hold that it should not be the burden of the students,” said Zungu.

He said the SRC had been constantly arguing for the university to review its fees structure and particularly its initial payment.

On Wednesday morning, students gathered as they had on the previous two days, outside the Rhodes Drama department at the junction of Somerset and Prince Alfred streets where a member of the Black Students Movement read out a press release. It said, “We the students demand the impossible because universities have been impossible to us. Blade, we rejected your 6%”.

The students resolved to follow a strategic campaign to visit campus residences to encourage other students to join in the protest.

The students then regrouped at the Drama department in a crowd which carried signs that read “6% for who?”, “Where are our white comrades?” and “Decolonise this Institution”.

Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Dr Sizwe Mabizela, arrived to join the crowd which began a march off campus and into Grahamstown, after a wait for municipal permission to do so.

The large crowd marched along a route guided by the SAPS, passing by local business but avoiding the neighbouring Eastcape Midlands College.

Once back at the Drama department, the students presented management with a list of demands which included among them that “no student shall be singled out and victimised for this protest action”.

The second and third demand related to an overall decrease in fees and a decrease in the levy charged to international students.

The list of demands then shifted its focus to the government as students demanded that Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, release the 2012 “no fees varsity report” and that there be no fee increase for the coming academic year.

After this, it was resolved with university management that a 5pm meeting would be convened at which time their response to the list of de- mands would be given.

At this meeting, Vice Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela made a heartfelt pledge that no academically deserving student would be excluded.

“I am giving you my commitment, I will sign and make sure that we do not financially exclude any student who is at Rhodes University,” he said.

Registrar Dr Stephen Fourie said that protesting is a constitutional right, therefore management will not victimise any student because they took part in the protest.

Dr Iain L’Ange, Executive Director – Infrastructure, Finance & Operations Division gave a breakdown of what reducing of fees will mean for the institution going forward. He said a 15% reduction in fees will translate to R30m in the tuition income budget.

“It is clear that reduction of the fees cannot easily be achieved without harming the academic project of Rhodes University,” he said, to mumblings from students.

“I give you my assurance that in the 2016 budget process, which is still under way, we will interrogate every aspect of the University’s budget including items such as catering costs and entertainment budgets, with a view to cutting costs as much as possible.”

Director of Student Affairs, Dr Colleen Vassiliou thanked students for embarking on a peaceful march. She said students have a right to protest, however the academic process had to continue. She made a request that academic activities resume on Thursday.

Mabizela echoed the plea, saying that each faculty would devise catch-up plans for students.

Just after 8pm on Wednesday night, students received a text message from the University stating that the “academic programme for the University will resume tomorrow”.

This was followed by members of the Student Representative Council convening meetings at residences to negotiate this.

The climax of the evening was a 10pm meeting led by the Black Students Movement, where it was resolved that no lecture would be allowed to continue on campus until the demands were met and to show solidarity with students who were being victimised at other campuses around the country.

On Thursday morning, the barricades were back in place and the academic programme was called off until the end of the week.

I am giving you my commitment, I will sign and make sure that we do not financially exclude any student who is at

Rhodes University