Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) on Wednesday declared an end to two days of student protests following "ongoing engagement" with management. Students had been protesting against the university's "first-come, first-served" policy for residence space. The university said in a statement that there were problems with accommodation every year, but that this had intensified this year because of the increased number of students returning to university. This was due to the … [Read more...] about NMMU protests finished
protests
Counting the cost of Student Protests
Dear Ratepayers, Business and Civil Society, One billion rand from our ratepayers monies disappears annually due to theft, corruption and mismanagement from the NMB Metro and to compensate for this, the following year WE, as ratepayers, are faced with the highly inflated increases from the Metro in order to recover and survive. We have no option to utilise the services of another competitive service provider, WE just have to pay. Over the last week we have seen how students protested not … [Read more...] about Counting the cost of Student Protests
Rand falls nearly 2% on back of #NationalShutDown
The student protests which swept across the country was trending worldwide on Twitter as police fired stun grenades at students who had made their way onto Parliament's precinct on Wednesday. #NationalShutDown was number eight on the list of worldwide trends. Universities across the country protested against the proposed tuition fee increases for 2016. Protesting University of Cape Town and Cape Peninsula University of Technology students pushed their way into the Parliamentary … [Read more...] about Rand falls nearly 2% on back of #NationalShutDown
#FeesMustFall is a national crisis say academics
Hundreds of academics who are in solidarity with protesting students across South African institutions have called the situation that has gripped the nation a crisis that government and vice chancellors need to urgently resolve. This is in stark contrast with Higher Education Minister Minister Blade Nzimande's statement that the national protests were not a national crisis. Over 490 local academics have written to Nzimande, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and vice chancellors, urging … [Read more...] about #FeesMustFall is a national crisis say academics
NMMU #FeesMustFall students call for 2:30 meeting
The NMMU Vice Chancellor informed colleagues and students via email today the NMMU was verbally informed about the intentions "of an organised section of the student community to disrupt academic and other activities at NMMU today", last night after a group of students purporting to represent student organisations, including DASO, SASCO, EFFSC indicated that they would be staging protests on campuses in support of various institutional demands and as part of a national drive to 'shutdown' … [Read more...] about NMMU #FeesMustFall students call for 2:30 meeting
Short History of the #FeesMustFall protest action
The Fees Must Fall Protests began in Johannesburg on Wednesday 14 October when the Wits student SRC organised a mass protest over a proposed 10.5 percent increase in fees. Students blockaded the entrance to the university campus in Braamfontein and all classes were cancelled. The upfront registration fee – or first tuition payment as it's also referred – at Wits is R9 900, which is far less than what students are expected to pay when they register at UCT or Rhodes University in … [Read more...] about Short History of the #FeesMustFall protest action
How NMMU Joined the Nationwide #FeesMustFall Protest
On 21 October 2015 NMMU students joined hands with other Universities nationwide and brought learning activities to a standstill. The participating universities include Wits (under VC Adam Habib, UCT (Under VC Max Price), Rhodes (under VC Sizwe Mabizela), Tuks (under VC Cheryl Delarey), Stellenbosch (under VC Wim De Villiers) and NMMU (under VC Derrick Schwartz). The NMMU SRC President, Hlomela Bucwa, issued this note to students last night via e-mail: After intense discussions with Top … [Read more...] about How NMMU Joined the Nationwide #FeesMustFall Protest
NMMU Shutdown
Lectures at NMMU have largely been cancelled today. https://twitter.com/tarynisaacs/status/656702519536553984 Just last night I was demonstrating my naivety in telling a visiting lecturer that NMMU, normally viewed as a conservative university, remained largely unaffected by the nation wide MIP Protests. And, that this would give the Vice Chancellor Derrick Schwartz massive bargaining power to fight for more money for NMMU. Boy, was I wrong about the first part and boy will Derrick be … [Read more...] about NMMU Shutdown
Video Collection: Rhodes University MIP Protest
At the risk of being branded an old fart I must say that if I had taken part in any such protest my Old Man would have yanked me out of University and 'allowed' me to work at digging trenches for a living - as a wise Vice Chancellor once told me; "Studying at University is a right and if we had to allow our students to pass easily we would be doing our country a gross disservice" - or something along those lines. But, times change and leaders grow weak......... Watch this selection of … [Read more...] about Video Collection: Rhodes University MIP Protest
Stun grenades fired at Rhodes protesters
Grahamstown - Police fired stun grenades at a crowd of protesters on Monday afternoon, when students from Rhodes University went to support their peers at the Eastern Cape Midlands College, the university's independent student news source, Activate, reported. One person was reportedly injured in the incident. This prompted a call from Rhodes vice chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela for students to return to the campus where they were "protected under Rhodes University jurisdiction". Mabizela … [Read more...] about Stun grenades fired at Rhodes protesters
Don’t tell the whites
The Rhodes University Student Representative Council (SRC) has condemned a voice note which cautions strikers to exclude white students because they "cannot be trusted". The voice note quickly went viral on social media. The protest action is over an increase in fees and the minimum initial payment (MIP), a 50% lump sum of their total tuition which for a full time students amounts to over R40 000. "They don't want any whites knowing because we can't trust them. So just black and non-white … [Read more...] about Don’t tell the whites
Mabizela to meet with student protesters
Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Sizwe Mabizela is to meet with striking students after the institution's academic programme was suspended on Monday. University spokesperson Catherine Deiner said on Monday morning Mabizela was "already on his way" to engage with the group, which is believed to be protesting over the "minimum initial payment" - a 50% lump sum of their total tuition. For a new student staying in residence, the minimum initial payment would be at least R41 000. The Daily … [Read more...] about Mabizela to meet with student protesters
Rhodes University Student Protests
Grahamstown - Rhodes University has suspended classes as students started protesting against fee hikes, according to reports on Monday. The Daily Dispatch reported that a group of about 100 students, some armed with sticks, turned people away from the Eastern Cape campus on Monday morning. eNCA reported that students had barricaded entrances with burning tyres. "Students are protesting about the minimum initial payment, which means students are required to pay 50% of the fees. This … [Read more...] about Rhodes University Student Protests
Municipality ‘surprised’ at PE protests
Port Elizabeth - The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has expressed surprise at the ongoing protest action in Walmer, saying they had already addressed the grievances with the community on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the EFF in the Eastern Cape said the current protest action in and around the Walmer township had its roots in corruption around reconstruction and development programme housing tenders. DA provincial spokesperson for safety and security Bobby Stevenson, in turn, blamed the violent … [Read more...] about Municipality ‘surprised’ at PE protests
Violent Protests Fueled by Slow Delivery, Unemployment and Political Infighting
The DA condemns the violence and criminal activity currently taking place in Uitenhage and calls for urgent action. The slow pace of housing delivery, high levels of unemployment and political infighting are the main causes of the violence that is tearing through Uitenhage at present. The painfully slow pace of service delivery from this ANC government has frustrated communities who continue to live in poverty while ANC cronies fight over position and patronage rather than fighting for the … [Read more...] about Violent Protests Fueled by Slow Delivery, Unemployment and Political Infighting
