Tense wait as varsities decide on way forward

TOMORROW could be pivotal for hundreds of thousands of students whose futures could be determined by the outcome of meetings as universities attempt to bring an end to violent protests.

Students are split over what to do next, but university bosses have warned that the academic year will come to naught if lectures do not resume this week.

The division was evident in the results of a referendum at the University of the Witwatersrand, with 16 739 out of 21 730 students voting to return to class.

Wits management is set to announce today whether lectures will resume after a twoweek shutdown.

Other universities will decide tomorrow whether to resume lectures.

Tomorrow will also be crucial as students await the government’s response to protests.

President Jacob Zuma and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, both of whom have been criticised for being silent while #FeesMustFall protests erupted, will address a multistakeholder imbizo at Emperors Palace, on the East Rand.

University of Cape Town vicechancellor Max Price warned this week: “There would be dire consequences for the academic project should the university not reopen [on Monday].”

The University of KwaZuluNatal, one of the worst-affected by the student protests, has made a similar warning.

Harold Maloka, Nzimande’s spokesman, said tomorrow’s imbizo would be critical.

“The engagement is meant to assist, to come up with solutions, to have an academic programme that continues. The minister has been making a consistent call that students must return to class and academic programmes must resume. We must do everything in our power to make sure we achieve that,” he said.

UKZN spokesman Lesiba Seshoka warned of far-reaching consequences if this initiative failed. “It will have terrible ramifications,” he said.

At Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where a mass meeting was taking place yesterday to determine what would happen this week, students threatened a shutdown “until our demands are met”.