On Monday this week, three lectures at the University of Cape Town’s Kramer Law Building were disrupted after a student protest broke out. The group of protesting students formed a human barricade across both the north and south entrances in the afternoon.
According to the university's management, the group of students numbered between 20 and 50 formed a human barricade across both the north and south entrances in the afternoon.
Later in the evening. the students blocked Baxter Road and started small fires on the lower and upper campuses, preventing shuttle pick-ups and drop-offs for Tugwell/Leo Marquard/Baxter/Kopano residences
The protest action occurred because the university’s admin evicted students who couldn’t register from their Res on Monday due to fee blocks. A fee block is when a student is blocked from returning to their studies because of outstanding fees. This prevents students from being able to register for study programs.
In response, the university’s management deemed the protest unlawful and increased the presence of their Campus Protection Services. The university also sought the assistance of the South African Police Service in accordance with the interim interdict granted by the Western Cape High Court in February 2023
UCT management further stated that it is willing to work with student representatives to resolve the matter and further reassured those affected that the mediation agreement on fee blocks reached with the SRC in March 2023 had not been breached.
In line with the mediation agreement, the management has implemented additional measures to address issues related to fee blocks and enable more students to register for the 2023 academic year.
Additionally, a cohort of students with fee blocks who were enrolled in 2022 and are currently academically qualified to continue was the subject of a survey by management. Students who wanted to register for the 2023 academic year could do so by responding to this poll.
Following survey responses from students who wanted to be taken into account for registration in 2023, management carried out individual academic and financial evaluations in accordance with the negotiated agreement.
Management and the SRC jointly tabled a report and proposal at a special UCT Council meeting on 5 April 2023, which requested Council to lift the fee block for students identified through the combined academic and financial assessments.
The outcome was communicated to students individually. Management remains committed to further engagement with the SRC.
