Victory rally in Durban brings traffic to a standstill

DURBAN students celebrated their victory over no fee increases on the streets of Durban and the N3 highway yesterday, which they closed for more than two hours causing traffic chaos.

About 6 000 students who had marched from Currie’s Fountain to the City Hall, and then to the ANC headquarters and two Unisa establishments, only left the N3 about 6pm.

Student leaders then addressed them at Currie’s Fountain on President Jacob Zuma’s announcement in Pretoria that there would be no fee increases at tertiary institutions, after which they dispersed.

The University of KwaZuluNatal (UKZN) and the Durban University of Technology ( DUT) welcomed the president’s decision, and emphasised the importance of government funding to address shortfalls.

UKZN executive director of corporate relations Lesiba Seshoka said they welcomed the president’s announcement, but expressed concern over the funding gap that would be created without the planned increase.

“On the one hand we are excited that this has been resolved and peaceful times will return to campus, but obviously there is going to be a huge shortfall in student fees and inflation has gone up. Funding will be essential and we hope we will get the necessary assistance from government.”

He also confirmed that UKZN’s full exam schedule would go ahead next week, while any exams missed this week would be rescheduled.

Professor Ahmed Bawa, DUT vice-chancellor and principal, also said he was pleased that a way forward had been found.

“Whilst the 0 percent fee increase for 2016 will have an impact on our budgets for the next year, I am confident that government will honour the agreement to assist universities with the resulting funding shortfall,” said Bawa.

He said DUT exams would resume on Monday as scheduled, and exams postponed would be rescheduled. Humanities in Africa.

“We are galvanised. We have challenged the way things are in this government. It started with Rhodes Must Fall and now Fees Must Fall and fees will fall,” she said.

Dr Maanda Mulaudzi, president of the Academic Union, then addressed the students, showing solidarity and reading out their memorandum intended for management. He is a lecturer in historical studies at the university.

The memorandum said the academic staff “stand in solidarity with the students and workers of UCT and the demands raised by those groupings”.

These included the unconditional withdrawal of the interdict issued against the protesting movements on Monday, and a halt to police brutality. An open forum for academic staff should also be convened by UCT management by Tuesday.

The memorandum was accepted by UCT deputy vicechancellor Professor Francis Petersen.

‘Five trends SA universities must reject’

IF SOUTH AFRICA’S universities want to change, there are five trends they must reject, says Professor Sioux McKenna, higher education studies PhD co-ordinator at Rhodes University.

The first is outsourcing, as she wrote in The Conversation this week. Another is performance management, implemented with a “vengeance” at many universities, she wrote.

Giving rewards for research and ignoring other academic responsibilities such as teaching “reinforces the hierarchy of academic work”. Also, universities were hiring executive deans at “huge salaries”. Universities were now “a set of businesses”. – Sheree Bega