Management at the University of the Witwatersrand has agreed to a mediation process with the student representative council (SRC) amid protests over fees and accommodation. (Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Management at the University of the Witwatersrand has agreed to a mediation process with the student representative council (SRC) amid protests over fees and accommodation.
The university said the decision followed a meeting last week with student leaders after they called for a “ceasefire” in hostilities at the higher education institution.
Wits students began protesting two weeks ago over the exclusion of financially disadvantaged students who have not been able to register for the new academic year because they have university debts, or who cannot secure accommodation at home because they cannot pay a deposit.
Six students have been suspended by the university for damaging property and violating the rights of others to study and work.
The mediation process was a constructive one, Wits spokeswoman Shirona Patel said.
“The office of the dean of student affairs will cooperate with the SRC and the management to arrange a convenient time and appropriate terms for the process, as well as involve a professional mediator in the coming days,” he added.
The SRC warned that if the university failed to complete the proposed mediation process, it would proceed with a “mere protest”.
Last week, the university sought to correct what it called “misinformation” in some student requests, saying it had made some concessions to help students in financial difficulty, such as allowing people with debts of R10 000 or less to enroll. The university said it has also issued R1.6 billion in financial aid, scholarships and bursaries that have helped more than 26 000 students.
The SRC has appealed to the university to lift the student leader’s suspension.
“We, as SRC, believe that this will be the first step to wrap the wounds left by student activism and ensure the peaceful continuation of the academic calendar without further disruption.”
In response, the university said: “Wits will not prevent peaceful protests. However, when students violate university rules, damage property and violate the rights of those who want to study and work, the university has no choice but to take action against these students. Many students suspended until now.
As the university enters its fourth week, academic programs and all university activities will resume, Patel said.