UCT students protesting at upper and middle campus on Friday after clashes with police saw two students being arrested. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency(ANA)
Cape Town - University of Cape Town’s Student Representative Council (SRC) said it would be continuing protests over fee blocks and the financial exclusion of students eligible for study, in the face of an interim interdict and as mediation was currently under way.
Since the start of the week, the university’s bus shuttle services, also referred to as the Jammie Shuttles, were halted as a result of disruptions at P4 area, the university said.
A third-year student living at Forest Hill Residence anonymously said the shuttle services were especially safe and convenient for students opting to study on campus and for those writing tests/assessments in the evenings.
With the services non-operational, their safety was greatly compromised.
“It’s really unfair that it only affects certain groups of people, underprivileged people, and for other people it is business as usual. If this had inconvenienced the majority of the UCT students, the majority of the privileged people, they would have taken it more seriously because that’s always the case, whereas underprivileged people, it’s like our voices don’t matter.”
The student also noted how services were stopped in the middle of the month, when most students only received their allowances at month-end.
“So it means that a lot of people would be using their last cents or pocket money to get to campus.”
Some students are also scheduled to write tests/assessments this week.
In a statement released to students, the SRC said: “The SRC condemns the classist and anti-black behaviour displayed by some academic staff at UCT who are proceeding with the academic year despite students not being able to access campus due to the immobility of shuttle services.
“Additionally, we note the conditions students are being forced to continue assessment. Students have reported that they have been locked into venues.”
Now former acting vice-chancellor, Professor Sue Harrison, said law enforcement and police had been present on campus on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, which saw two students arrested.
“We are concerned about claims that law enforcement officers engaged in racial profiling. We reject any form of racial profiling and will engage both Campus Protection Services officials and law enforcement to investigate these claims,” Harrison said.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za