The University of Witwatersrand’s (Wits) Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Aphiwe Mnyamana, has been suspended from campus.
The news was confirmed by the institution on Monday.
The suspension comes after Mnyamana failed to appear at a hearing scheduled for March 6, despite having been provided with the platform to make his own submissions, the university claimed.
He was suspended over allegations of misconduct, damaging property and intimidating those at the university.
The university’s management also said Mnyamana would not be allowed to access any of the institution’s precincts, participate in activities or engage in conduct that constitutes “student privileges”.
According to Wits, the allegations against the SRC president are of a serious nature and relate to conduct that infringes on the rights of others.
It said he will not be allowed to stay in Wits’ residences until the legal process is finalised.
“We will allow the legal process to now take its course,” Wits said.
But the Wits SRC has since dismissed claims that their president failed to attend the hearing and said the university is trying to silence the SRC from highlighting challenges that face them such as registration and accommodation.
“The president received his letter of notice to make representation over his allegations of misconduct on/or about 12.35 for 14.30 on March 6, in which he responded to his unavailability on/or about 13.17 of the same day.
“The university noted his response at about 14.10 on March 6 and further postponed the meeting for 17.00 online. The president responded at about 15.50 of the same day explaining his unavailability due to circumstances beyond his control, and further requested to meet on the following day when he is back and around Braamfontein and Campus,” the SRC said.
It said Mnyamana did not neglect or ignore the notice he was served with and he was willing to comply with the notice.
“The only issue which impeded him from attending physically was because he was not around Braamfontein or Campus in which the meeting was scheduled to take place and could not attend online either as the place in which he was had poor network coverage for an MS Teams meeting.
“The president further made an extension to request to appear on Tuesday and if not then latest on Wednesday but still, the university, despite all these issues, overlooked his request and served him with a suspension order at about 17:31 on March 6,” SRC said.
Mnyamana said: “I have noted the Suspension from Wits University and I am waiting for instruction from our legal advisor Advocate Dali Mpofu, we will respond duly, however, the peaceful protest will continue with or without me."
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