Student wrote exams before stopping others

Ringleader looked after himself before fuelling violence that led to his arrest in Cape Town

ONE of the ringleaders at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology who has been responsible for disrupting exams wrote his papers before “leading the strike”.

CPUT confirmed that the engineering student, a member of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania, wrote his exams last week.

The student, based at the Bellville campus, was among 31 students arrested last Friday for public violence. He and the others were slapped with interdicts by the High Court in Cape Town last weekend preventing them from disrupting the activities of the institution.

CPUT spokeswoman Lauren Kansley said by e-mail that the student was at the forefront of disrupting exams and keeping other students from writing.

“He was actually seen writing his exams a week ago. Naturally, as an institution we think it’s grossly unfair that the majority of students are being denied this very right.

“We recognise our students and know who is responsible for the terrible violence and damage we have seen inflicted on our campuses for the past three weeks,” Kansley said.

Protesters ran amok at CPUT this week, overturning three of the university’s official vehicles and damaging a fourth. They burnt the financial aid office and a bus, petrol-bombed a security office and looted bookstores and cafeterias on three campuses.

Their demands include the sacking of the vice-chancellor, Dr Prins Nevhutalu, and the acting executive director for finance, Maresce Geduld-Jeftha.

Kansley said: “We have reached multiple agreements with the students which they renege on.”

Last week, the university had scrapped R111-million in debt owed by more than 5 000 students from 2012 until now who had qualified for funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme but had not received it, she said.

Five universities, including CPUT, confirmed this week that damage totalling R39.3-million had been caused during the wave of student protests.

The University of KwaZuluNatal confirmed that damage estimated at R31-million was caused in September just before the #FeesMustFall campaign after protesters set fire to the administration building as well as the student counselling and risk management services buildings.

Disruptions at other universities this week included:

Exams at Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve campuses were postponed until tomorrow after a cafeteria and a one-stop information centre were set alight. A fire was also started at a TUT Pretoria campus building on Thursday;

Arson, damage to property and a bid to disrupt an exam at Stellenbosch University;

An attempt by seven protesters to disrupt an exam at the sports centre at the University of Cape Town by throwing human excrement into the venue; and

Protests at the University of the Western Cape, as well as vandalism and arson, forced the institution to postpone exams for its first- and second-year students to next year.

UWC spokesman Luthando Tyhalibongo said 16 buildings had been vandalised while three buildings and a student residence had been set alight.

“Other serious cases of arson were on the residence administration building, two guardhouses, Cassinga residence and the new Reslife building.”

Final-year and postgraduate students could write exams later this month, next month or in January.

“First- and second-year students’ continuous assessment mark are used as their final mark. In cases where such students want to improve their final mark, they will be able to write an exam in January.”

Registration fees for indigent students had been waived weeks ago. The university’s R270-million historical debt will be discussed at a council meeting next week.

Students demand that the historical debt be written off and an end to outsourcing, he said.

Meanwhile, student leaders this week warned that institutions faced even more serious disruptions early next year.

We think it’s grossly unfair the majority of students are being denied this very right