Second day of protests rocks UCT campus
Students storm administration building, block entrances
Hundreds of UCT students marched to the university’s administration building during a second day of protests over fees and accommodation. Photos: Ashraf Hendricks
For a second day, protests erupted at the University of Cape Town, as hundreds of students marched through the campus, blocked entrances, and stormed the Masingene administration building, chanting “free education and housing”. Students were protesting against financial exclusion, fee blocks, and lack of accommodation. University classes have been moved online.
UCT SRC president Thando Lukhele told GroundUp that the university had been “dragging their feet” over a solution. More than 100 students have been sleeping in SRC offices and on the upper campus, she said.
She said the SRC had been talking to university management since last November.
The non-negotiables for the students, Lukhele said, included accommodation for those currently staying in SRC offices and those staying in university housing who have been served with eviction notices.
On the issue of fees, concessions had to be made to students who could not afford to pay, she said.
A third year law student who cannot register because of unpaid fees, who did not want to be named, explained that she has been sleeping in the SRC office for weeks. She said most students affected by fee blocks are from the “missing middle” — they don’t qualify for NSFAS funding but they can’t afford university fees either.
Her single mother of three, the primary breadwinner, doesn’t qualify for a student loan.
A 5th year medical student, Agnes Chuma, was able to register after raising money through the crowdfunding platform BackaBuddy, something that a few other students unable to pay their fees were also doing.
Chuma said it was an “emotionally draining” process and that it was difficult to open up to the public “that you are in need”. “At the end of the day, I’m still going to have debt accumulating,” she said.
In response to GroundUp’s questions, UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola forwarded a statement, detailing financial aid measures implemented by UCT.
These measures include: students with debt under R10,000 to be allowed to register (which has benefited about 4,000 students); internal UCT bursaries, which have benefited about 1,300 students; fee relief measures for NSFAS-eligible students; and loan agreements for students with debt over R10,000, which still has a low uptake.
“Unfortunately, there will be no further concessions beyond what can be provided within our available budget,” the statement said.
The university also indicated that about 38 students who had not left vacation accommodation had been served with eviction notices.
The students took over the Masingene administration building.
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