News24.com | WATCH | UCT classes move online amid SRC's campus-wide shutdown

• The University of Cape Town (UCT) has moved its teaching and learning programmes online following disruptions.   
• On Monday, the UCT Student Representative Council (SRC) called for a campus-wide shutdown in protest against fee blocks and access to student housing.  
• The SRC has vowed to continue the shutdown until its demands have been met.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has moved its teaching and learning programmes online until further notice following a campus-wide shutdown by the Student Representative Council (SRC) on Monday.

University spokesperson Elijah Moholola said the announcement follows the demand by the SRC of a campus-wide shutdown in protest against fee blocks and access to student housing, which resulted in academic activities being suspended.

"In instances where it is not possible for programmes to be moved online, faculties and departments will make specific arrangements and communicate these directly to the staff and students concerned," said Moholola. Staff members are also advised to work remotely. 

On Monday morning, as students made their way to classes, entrances to the campus were closed and lectures were disrupted by SRC members. Classes were then cancelled.

The SRC explained in a statement that the disruptions were related to student housing, fee blocks, and issues with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).The SRC requested an emergency meeting with the university's council and made several demands, which included the lifting of fee blocks before the commencement of the 2023 academic year.

"After the fee block is lifted, the registration period must stay open for at least five working days. Students [who are academically eligible to continue and] who have been excluded from residences must be provided with student housing. UCT must conduct a policy review in which fee blocks and financial exclusions are eradicated indefinitely," it said.

The SRC said academic work should be suspended until fee blocks are removed.

READ | Student protest: UCT first years in the dark, worried about falling behind

"We have a very clear view on fee blocks: they are a tool of oppression against black and poor students and should be eradicated altogether. Too many students have been robbed of their right to education and are faced with financial exclusion," declared the SRC.

Deputy secretary-general of the SRC, Erin Dodo, said throughout last month there were students whose university acceptance was revoked due to unpaid fees and their residence placement offers taken away because of a lack of funds and historical debt. 

She added that students had also been automatically excluded academically, as their debt has surpassed R10 000.  

According to Dodo, these blockades would continue until the SRC's concerns were met. 

Several students protested alongside SRC members during a mass meeting held at the campus. 

Students marched to the Bremner building and protested outside in an effort to engage with university management, while the SRC handed over its demands.

Dodo demanded that the management call for an emergency council meeting, a retraction of the "lie" which stated that management is continuously engaging with SRC members, and for the continued suspension of academic activity.

Meanwhile, UCT students had mixed views about Monday's protest action.

READ | Matthew Field: UCT protest action - It has become groundhog day

A final-year BSC student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said a lot of students were unable to register and seek accommodation due to fee blocks and have had their residence placement offers withdrawn.  

The student said he knew several students from Limpopo and Mpumalanga who were staying in lodges near the university due to a lack of student accommodation.  

"I understand why the SRC is doing this [protest]," he said. "Management has to come up with an arrangement so that students can register."

"I am supposed to be in class, I want to be in class but I understand those students can't be in class ... all students shouldn’t be in class until the issues are resolved."

A first-year BA student who also preferred to stay anonymous, said she heard about the protest over social media, and was on campus when she received an email notification that her classes had been cancelled.  

She said upper campus had been blocked and the Jammie shuttle service was unavailable.

"I understand why they are protesting, but I hope my academic year is not pushed back," she complained.

SRC president Hlengiwe Gugulethu Lisa Dube said: "A lot of black people and people of colour are faced with housing issues and are unable to register because of fee blocks."

Swazi Hlophe, the SRC's vice-president, said UCT was known to be the most expensive university in this country.

"We are talking about fees that climb over R100 000 for a first-year degree, [and] residence fees that can increase to R102 000. They purposefully make it extremely unreachable so that those in the middle class cannot reach it."  

Students face financial exclusion and a lack of student accommodation every year, however, the SRC hoped that these persistent issues would finally be addressed this year.  

Hlophe said:

Dube said the SRC was frustrated due to a lack of engagement and response from the UCT council.

"Initially, in January, we followed protocol and engaged with management before issuing our demands to council," she told News24.

"Our key frustration is a lack of transparency and a lack of engagement [with management]," she said. 

University management was given until 17:00 on Monday to meet the SRC's demands, but failed to meet the deadline, said Hlophe.

UCT in a statement said: "This disruption has gone beyond the bounds of lawful protest. It is of concern that the SRC resorted to this latest course of action without having had any engagements with the university management.

"In the previous round of engagements, as recently as two weeks ago, the management and the SRC worked on the issues tabled and managed to find a resolution to some of the pressing issues. Prior to this latest protest action, the university had already put several measures in place to respond to issues relating to fee blocks and outstanding student debt." 

According to UCT, these issues include:

• The UCT council approved the amended fee debt threshold from R1 000 to R10 000, enabling more students to register in 2023 despite their outstanding debt.
• The university set aside budget, within the current financial constraints, to assist students in good academic standing who meet the criteria for financial aid through the debt appeals process.
• For 2022, data shows that at least R1.9 billion (unaudited) was spent in providing financial aid support to UCT students. This amount is an increase of R100 million compared to 2021.
• The support provided to students has increased in recent years and close to 50% of undergraduate and 30% of postgraduate students receive funding support.
• The university’s grace period enables students with outstanding debt to access the academic project while working on settling the debt. 

Moholola said management held an urgent meeting on Monday to consider other measures that could still be implemented.

"It is, however, important to emphasise that any decisions relating to fee blocks are subject to council policy," he said. 

"It is of concern that there is a huge number of students who have not been on any financial aid before and who have not been on a grace period, yet they have not reached out to the financial aid office.

"The university leadership will continue engaging with the SRC, and relevant stakeholders, to resolve issues as speedily as possible and ensure the resumption of in-person academic activities," he added.