The University of Cape Town (UCT) is under mounting pressure from the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command (EFFSC) and other students amidst a deepening accommodation crisis and disputes over fee concessions for the 2025 academic year.
The EFFSC has accused UCT management of being “anti-student” and unresponsive to their concerns, warning that this could lead to further protests and disruptions to the academic calendar.
UCT recently announced that no further fee concessions or lifting of fee blocks would be granted in 2025. The EFFSC says this decision was made without proper consultation.
They allege that UCT management routinely ignores student voices and uses intimidation tactics disguised as “consequence management,” to silence student leaders.
The EFFSC claims the university frequently backtracks on agreements made with the Student Representative Council (SRC) and has called for all agreements to be made public.
A major point of contention is the ongoing accommodation crisis. The EFFSC criticised UCT’s decision to guarantee vacation housing while term-time accommodation only became available on 1 February 2025, leaving many students stranded.
They also raised concerns about court-ordered evictions, reduced transit accommodation beds to 150, and the impact of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) accommodation cap.
While UCT cited several existing financial relief measures introduced to assist students, including a policy allowing registration for students with debt below R10,000, internal bursaries and donor funding, and fee relief for NSFAS-eligible students, these measures appear insufficient to address the current crisis.
UCT stated that while most students vacated residences by the agreed deadline, approximately 38 students remained, incurring a significant cost and leading to the issuance of eviction notices.
The university prioritised first-year students for transit accommodation, securing 150 beds through an off-campus provider, but stated it could not extend this provision to returning students with outstanding fees.
UCT acknowledged reports of students staying in SRC offices, deeming the situation unsuitable and unsafe.
However, UCT condemned the disruptive protests, stating they contradicted the values and efforts to heal campus divisions.
The EFFSC has called for immediate mediation between UCT management and student representatives, warning that failure to do this could lead to further disruptions of the academic year.
