Cape Peninsula University of Technology students have rejected an offer by the university to transport them home as the country goes on lockdown at midnight tonight.
CPUT University Spokesperson Lauren Kansley said: “CPUT management will be chartering buses to assist our residence students who are still in Student Housing to return home after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the countrywide lockdown on Monday evening.”
She said they anticipated that it would be difficult for these students to return home with limited flights and buses available and the decision was taken to assist them to get safely back to their families.
“The well-being and safety of our students is of paramount importance to Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo and his Management team during this challenging time,” she said. But Nonele Ganyile, Central SRC Secretary General, said the offer came too late.
“We welcome the transport, however this intervention is a little too late and we are adamant that no student must be forcefully evicted, it must be voluntarily.
“Understanding that most of our students are coming from rural areas and squatter camps with no equipped hospitals, no clean running water and no money to buy sanitisers, to say the least.
“The university has not considered the travel restrictions and physical contact that comes with the transport arrangements.”
The SRC said the decision was taken without their consultation.
CPUT is the only university without recorded infections in the Western Cape.