After shutting down their university’s upper and lower campuses, a group of 100 UCT students and workers marched to Hiddingh satellite campus in the city centre yesterday.
The group came to support their fellow students in shutting down their campus, in their protest for free university tuition.
Police vehicles followed the students from Cape Town train station to the Hiddingh campus, where a mass meeting was held.
Students are calling for management to give in to their list of demands, which include: The lifting of suspensions of three of their fellow students; and “black neo-liberal decolonised” education at UCT.
The group has also rejected the suggested 8% capped fee increase, announced by minister of higher education Blade Nzimande earlier this week.
The group of #UCT students and workers have come together as one and are making their way to Hiddingh campus. #Fees2017 @DailyVoiceSA pic.twitter.com/6hyZ73IXpx
— Bertram malgas (@malgasie) September 21, 2016
One of the student representatives says: “We are trying to consolidate ourselves with the satellite campuses so that we make sure that nothing is running at UCT.
“We’ve tabled all the students’ demands, not forgetting the demand of the workers, and carry on with the Fees Must Fall protests of last year.”
Other issues the students want management to address are: the problem of “rape culture” and “homophobia” within the residences; the fact that outsourcing is still taking place, and workers who are in-sourced must earn a minimum salary of R12 500 per month.
For now candidates of the Student Representative Council are in discussions with university management, and the shutdown is due to continue until Monday.