Nelson Mandela University (NMU) intends enforcing a standing interdict against protesters who infringe on the rights of other students and employees should protests continue there on Thursday.
The strongly worded statement by the university was issued late on Wednesday after a day of protests, largely over financial issues including student loans and registrations.
The protesting students disrupted academic activities and caused considerable traffic congestion around the university when they blocked off the entrances to two campuses “to get the attention” of university management.
The Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (Daso), which did not formally participate in Wednesday’s protest but supports the reasons for it, said more protests could be expected there on Thursday.
Led by members of the South African Students Congress (Sasco), small pockets of the between 200 and 300 students who took part in the protest blocked off – at various times of the day – the entrances to both the north and south campuses from around 10am.
NMU spokesperson Zandile Mbabela said the university had been working with the student leadership on ensuring a smooth start to the 2019 academic year and working groups to address issues had already been established, which made the protests surprising.
“Regular meetings of working groups have been taking place, with the most recent one on [Tuesday],” she said .
“There were no issues raised that could have resulted in an interruption of university operation and academic activity.
“It was therefore surprising to have the entrances blocked [on Wednesday], ostensibly [because] there are issues that are not being addressed.
“We have noted attempts at physical disruption to the university programme – such action cannot be tolerated.
“The university has a duty to protect the rights of staff, students and all stakeholders.
“The university [therefore] is left with no choice but to enforce the standing interdict.”
Mbabela said the interdict was aimed at protecting the rights of all stakeholders, as well as of those wishing to exercise their rights to protest in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the interdict.
“This is to ensure that university operations and academic activities continue [on Thursday],” she said.
The protests attracted a large number of onlookers and led to severe traffic congestion.
Police monitored the situation briefly.
One driver was seen patiently waiting out the blockade in a large delivery truck, which was prevented from leaving the south campus. According to a third-year woman student and Sasco member taking part in the action, the road blockages had been established “to get the attention of management”.
“I am here to support those students who have problems registering, those who have problems getting study finance from the NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] and those who have not been provided with accommodation,” the student, who did not want to be named, said.
Another student, who also would not identify himself, said their concerns were around the fairness of students being excluded from tertiary studies for lack of finance.
The Sasco head at NMU, Bamanye Matiwane, could not be reached for comment.
Daso chair Kwanda Jakalase said while it had not yet joined the protest, Daso was in solidarity with Sasco with respect to the reasons for the protest.
“There are students who are in debt, but who had negotiated and received concessions which would have allowed them to continue their studies this year,” Jakalase said.
“This would include aspects such as concessions around registration fees for 2019.
“These concessions have not materialised, which has left those students in a serious financial position with negative impacts on their abilities to continue studying this year.”