A few hundred students and workers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) marched to parliament this afternoon demanding an end to outsourcing at all universities, protesting against police brutality, and calling for free education.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 29 October 2015
On Wednesday, over 300 parents of children going to Masiphumelele High School and Ukhanyo Primary School attended a meeting organised by student governing bodies (SGB) of both schools and the Masiphumelele Youth Development Forum to discuss a way forward to make sure children do not miss any more schools days due to protests.
Thembela Ntongana
Brief | 29 October 2015
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has agreed, in principle, to employ its workers directly, and charges were dropped against 23 protesters. But at Wits, students and reporters were intimidated by protesters. Here are reports of today's protest activities from Cape Town, East London and Johannesburg.
GroundUp staff
News | 28 October 2015
Many universities have postponed exams due to protest action. Here is an update of the situation at various institutions based on their official communications as of 16:00 on 28 October.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 28 October 2015
Despite the South African Schools Act prohibiting the use of corporal punishment, caning continues in many schools. Now a Pietermaritzburg mother has had enough, and she's laid a complaint with the police against her son's school principal.
Ntombi Mbomvu
News | 28 October 2015
University of Fort Hare students have vowed to continue with their #FeesMustFall protests after an exchange of letters with Vice-Chancellor Mvuyo Tom.
Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik and Siphesihle Matyila
News | 27 October 2015
Learners from the Centre for Science and Technology (COSAT), Khayelitsha, aired their first high school radio show last week. And they’re not shying away from difficult topics. The group, known as the Optimistic Youth Reporters (OYR), debated teenage pregnancy in a twenty minute live broadcast for staff and their fellow students in the school hall.
Pasqua Heard
News | 27 October 2015
Exams and classes have been postponed indefinitely in a number of universities, as student protests continued. The main focus of demonstrations is shifting to the issue of outsourced workers at tertiary institutions. Differences among students about how to proceed have come to the fore. At some institutions accusations and counter-accusations of intimidation were made between students representing opposing views.
GroundUp Staff
News | 26 October 2015
From Pretoria to East London, from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, and even in London, students and their supporters demanded a zero percent increase to fees. But while most of the protests were peaceful, at UWC and Pretoria protesters and police clashed.
GroundUp Staff
News | 23 October 2015
Students will shut down universities until there is agreement on a 0% fee increase next year, representatives of student organisations said in Cape Town last night.
GroundUp staff
News | 23 October 2015
Activist Mandy Sanger, who was part of student-led opposition to apartheid through the Committee of 81 in Cape Town, delivered the annual Ashley Kriel memorial lecture sponsored by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and the University of the Western Cape last night. Here is a brief extract from her speech.
Mandy Sanger
Opinion | 23 October 2015
Over 800 students and student groups from 200 international institutions have signed a statement of support for the #FeesMustFall protesters.
Over 800 signatories
Opinion | 23 October 2015
Hundreds of Wits university students took to the floor of Senate House, dubbed Solomon Mahlangu House, singing loudly upon the arrival of anti-apartheid stalwart Ahmed Kathrada earlier today.
GroundUp staff
News | 22 October 2015
Students pushed their way through the gates of Parliament today as universities across the country closed down in the face of nationwide protests against proposed fee increases.
Ashleigh Furlong, Tariro Washinyira andPasqua Heard
News | 21 October 2015
Students at UCT, protesting at a planned 10.3% fee hike, marched on the university residences today and then on Rondebosch police station to demand the release of students arrested this morning.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 20 October 2015
UCT students uniting under the banner of #feesmustfall and #UCTshutdown protested today against the 10.3% fee increase for 2016. The students demanded an emergency meeting with the university council and a meeting between all vice-chancellors in the country, the Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene and the Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande, to discuss university fees.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 19 October 2015