Relief as varsity drops charges

UCT’s decision to drop disciplinary charges against 240 Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) members has been welcomed by the movement as a “huge relief”.

The ongoing conflict between UCT management and RMF started in March after student activist Chumani Maxwele flung human excrement on the statue of Cecil John Rhodes.

After the statue was removed, RMF members faced disciplinary action for occupying UCT’s Bremner Building in March and Avenue House on April 29.

UCT vice-chancellor Max Price then granted RMF members amnesty for protest-related incidents between March 9 and May 18.

Four students were suspended for remaining in Avenue House after May 18.

RMF handed UCT a document listing 240 members who stood in solidarity with those suspended. UCT responded by issuing those on the list with admission of guilt pleas.

After refusing to sign the pleas and requesting that UCT abandon all disciplinary processes against the movement, RMF threatened to boycott “transformation talks” unless their demands were met.

A mediation process was facilitated by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation last month.

“A compromise was found in the spirit of justice and in light of the considerable work that is still left to be done,” RMF spokesman Brian Kamanzi said.

RMF welcomed the dropping of the charges as a huge relief. “But we will continue to stand up against intimidation in the face of our primary objectives of decolonisation,” he said.