Rhodes interdict

FROM PAGE 2

Immediately after the judgment, the intervening staff released a statement. They said their position had always been that a dialogue and authentic engagement needed to occur to prevent protest.

They said at no point had they condoned violent protest action, and had released statements to that effect.

“We suggested at a meeting with senior management that we wanted to discuss with the University the refinement of the interdict. That was rejected.

“The judgment today does exactly what we were asking for initially; that if the interdict should not be dismissed, that it should be significantly refined so as not to curtail legitimate protest, and disruption resulting from protest. Protest, by its nature, is disruptive.

The statement further said that the judgment states that in the tradition of academic comment and appropriate action in the context of the Constitution, the role and input from academia generally deserved respect and careful consideration providing it remained within the realm of academic, relevant and necessary comment and contribution. This warranted being jealously guarded.

They said they were very grateful for an organisation as prestigious as Seri for taking this case on. They said Seri was considering appealing certain aspects of the order in relation to the three named students.