Johannesburg - The Student Forum at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) has condemned the suspension and single outing of the Senior Representative Council (SRC) President, Aphiwe Mnyamana, and other student council members.
The forum said the suspensions warranted intimidation and constitute scare tactics by the University’s Senior Executive Team (SET) towards the student leaders of the University.
“It is our view that the SET is trying to silence, threaten and intimidate student leaders for exercising their democratic right to represent student interests as guided by the University Statute.
“Student leaders are entrusted to promote and protect students and they have the right to advocate for their interests,” it said.
The forum said the SET has broken the oath of trust among them and the Student Leaders by applying scare tactics, intimidations and threats, “We believe that SET has broken the codes and ethics of its oaths of offices to promote good student governance and protect students.”
The student forum made it clear that the SET actions were nothing but abhorrent, deplorable and deserved nothing but absolute repulsiveness.
“The Vice Chancellor and the SET have broken their oaths of office in administering good governance structures as the Vice Chancellor and the SET have resorted to fear-mongering tactics on student leaders through threats and handing out of suspension letters and also on students and staff through the over-militarisation and securitisation of University Precincts whilst students are exercising their democratic rights to protest and demonstrate. These actions are unjustified and such repugnant actions do require in our view the notice of the University Council,” according to the forum.
It called for the suspensions of all SRC members to be lifted and further said SET as well as the Vice-Chancellor to meet with the SRC and resolve these issues faced by students.
The forum further called on the Vice-Chancellor, Zeblon Vilakazi, to address all students and staff in a general assembly on how the university plans to eradicate the sectoral issues that affect students each year.
“We also call on the University Council to look into the conduct of the Vice-Chancellor as well as the SET on how they have all handled and managed the protest actions and demonstrations by students on campus,” it said.
The student forum said it would remain resolute in supporting the SRC and cordially advised Vilakazi and SET to never implore scare tactics and threats toward students and student leaders particularly the student council.
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