The University of Cape Town (UCT) has acted against protesting students who disrupted classes on Wednesday morning. The institution notified the South African Police Service (SAPS) to resolve the situation.
UCT was granted an interim interdict by the Western Cape High Court on Friday, 17 February 2023 which makes these acts of disruption unlawful.
The interdict prohibits UCT’s Students’ Representative Council (SRC) from participating in or inciting others to participate in any unlawful conduct and/or unlawful protest action at the university's properties. This includes prohibiting the interference of the UCT shuttle services.
After becoming aware of the disruptions on UCT’s Upper Campus on Wednesday, relevant members of the university’s executive alerted the SAPS to intervene and respond to the disruptions.
UCT acknowledged that while only a few classes were disrupted by the protests, the rest of the classes continued.
While the university’s executive reiterated their stance on upholding the right to legitimate protest, they warned that they will act against unlawful activities.
The executive further remains committed to a process of engagement over any issues, noting that an array of measures has been put in place already to enable over 4000 students with fee blocks to register for the 2023 academic year.
UCT said classes scheduled for the remainder of the day will continue where practically possible. They added that the executive is activating measures to respond to the unlawful acts of disruption.
The universities Students’ Representative Council (SRC) says more than 7430 students are blocked from registering for the 2023 academic year. They add that the university’s council is refusing to lift the fee blocks for these students. This could mean that many students will be forced to leave their residence.
Those who made their way to Cape Town at the start of the year will now be kicked out of residence from 9 March with no alternative solution.
This is not the first time individuals have protested at UCT during the 2023 academic year. Protests began on the first day of the academic year as the SRC called for the lifting of fee blocks and reopening of the registration period for at least five (5) working days after the fee block is lifted. They also demanded that academic activities at UCT be suspended until the registration challenges are resolved.
The SRC is calling on stakeholders to join the movement by supporting their call for the suspension of classes to ensure that the students who have fee blocks are allowed to register.
