Nelson Mandela University serves interdict to protesting students

Nelson Mandela University has served an interdict to a handful of protesting students at the university North Campus on Monday.

The interdict is to protect the rights and safety of those who wish to access the University while also allowing for the right to protest in accordance with the conditions set out in the interdict. 

The protest is in response to an alleged increased spate of campus crime including robberies of lecturer’s culminated in a protest in the early hours of today resulting in the university postponing academic activities.

Despite this, the secretary of the EFF South Campus student command, Keneilwe Matu, said they would not  back down until management engaged them. 

“One thing, we are not intimidated by police. All we want is management to engage us.

“We are demanding that they get back to us with positive responses to the memorandum of demands that we gave them today.

“At 2pm we expect a response on everything because our campuses are not safe. 

“I hear that people are using their DSTV cards to enter campus because securities are not vigilant,” she added. 

On Sunday the EFF student command announced the planned protest on its Facebook page. 

“… As EFFSC, the movement that cares and love students, we are capable of eradicating hostiles, hence we ask all Nelson Mandela university students to collaborate with us with the purpose to revive safety and protection in our institution, as gazetted by the constitution of the republic.

“As long as we continue to be victims of crime, we won't rest. Lives of students are at stake.”

On Sunday,Nelson Mandela University, through its social media platforms, urged that students not participate in the protest action but rather liaise with the university through other means.

“We remain committed to inclusive stakeholder engagement. As such, a policy was crafted in consultation with the Student Representative Council (SRC) and was approved by Council in 2018.

“The University Management wishes to remind students of this formal engagement process when raising their concerns.

“Communication channels through approved protocols remain open and must be utilised.

“Contravention of this policy will not be tolerated and will result in the appropriate course of action. The University reserves its right to safeguard the continuity of its learning and teaching mandate.”

University spokeswoman Zandile Mbabela released a statement  saying that the high spates of crime affecting university personnel and students was being addressed.

“The University has developed a strategy, which is currently being implemented, that is premised on the effective deployment of security personnel, the efficient use of technology, robust stakeholder collaboration and management.

“Technology interventions in the strategy roll-out include the introduction of the Operation, Monitoring, Analysis and Response Rooms (OMARR) (formerly known as the control rooms) viewing stations on each campus, as well as the infrastructure and technology upgrades of the main OMARR centres on North and George campuses.”

The university also said that it was extending the WiFi connectivity of students to off campus residences to ensure students are not preyed on as they try access computers on campus.

This is a developing story.