A large group of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) students staged a sit-in in front of the university’s administration building, at the Bellville main campus in Cape Town.
Earlier, university management had given the students a deadline of 4pm on Wednesday to vacate the university residences across all campuses, citing safety concerns.
The students have vowed that they will not vacate because they claim no consultation was done with them and majority live outside of the Western Cape.
They say also they do not have transport money to go home as they are dependent on National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The students are raising concerns over residence conditions, financial challenges, academic documents and the proposed 2027 Financial Recovery Plan
. CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley says the Wednesday 4pm deadline was not intended to antagonise students, but to de-escalate tensions.
“The 4 o’clock deadline was not intended to antagonise the students, and we were certainly not looking for aggressive evictions from residences. I think it achieved what we wanted, which was to de-escalate the violence. We had absolutely no incidents of violence overnight, which we’re very grateful for, and we had credible intelligence that the violence was going to increase. So, the decision to evacuate the residences was based on intelligence that has proven to be true.”
VIDEO | CPUT management says the violence was reaching unturnable heights hence the decision to vacate the students:
The Student Representative Council Deputy President, Tumelo Nzimande says no student is going home as the residence lease agreement has not lapsed.
“And we have made it clear that we are not going anywhere, and we have told all students they must then lock their rooms and not allow any police to enter. If it’s the police coming to your room, you take a picture and report for harassment.”
A first-year Computer Engineering student says she has no means to return home in Johannesburg and is worried about her safety. She says she will remain at the residence.
“The reason why I won’t vacate is because I am underprivileged. I don’t have money just lying around that I can take and use to go home. I live very far away, I live in Johannesburg and I’m in Cape Town. So, where will I get a bus ticket to Johannesburg within 24 hours? My parents can’t just get money from anywhere. They can’t go to loan sharks. It’s a lot. I am underprivileged. They say I’m poor; I’m a NSFAS student.”
As the four o’clock deadline approached, the situation at the Bellville campus appeared calm, with some students still on campus. Others were seen playing games and spending time together, despite the instruction that they were expected to have vacated the residences by this deadline.
VIDEO | CPUT students have also handed over a memorundum of demands to a parliament commitee over the conditions at the residences:
-Report by Yonda Magubudela
