Over 600 students marched through the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) campus in Rondebosch, calling for an end to financial exclusion, among other demands.
Over 600 students marched from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) main campus in Rondebosch on Monday. Some entrances to the campus were blocked by students. Lectures were disrupted, forcing some classes to start the academic year online.
Students are protesting against issues related to financial exclusion, student debt and accommodation.
Marching to the Bremner building on the lower campus, students sang struggle songs and held placards that read: “Fees must fall” and “Lift fee block”.
This year also marks 10 years since the rise of the Rhodes Must Fall and subsequent Must Fall movements. The #FeesMustFall movement was led by students across South Africa in 2015, calling for affordable and decolonised education. It started at Wits University and quickly spread nationwide, highlighting issues of inequality and financial exclusion in higher education.
Lectures were disrupted on Monday as students marched through the institution.
Reading out the memorandum to a cheering crowd, SRC president Thando Lukele said they are demanding more student housing and that students with outstanding fees still be allowed to register or graduate, among other demands.
“We want a policy to prevent financial exclusion,” she said. Lukele said that no student should be denied education due to “financial barriers”. She called for all academic and sports activities to be suspended until the university responds to their demands.
She warned that if UCT did not respond to their memorandum, protests would intensify.
Addressing the crowd, UCT Vice-Chancellor Mosa Moshabela said that they acknowledge the issues raised by the protesting students and will discuss them. “We are committed to doing what we can,” he said.
In a statement in January, Moshabela said, “The university remains committed to assist current financially needy students who are in good academic standing that have a 2024 fee debt so that they can complete their studies within our approved financial aid policies. We have therefore set aside a fee debt appeals budget for this purpose.”
Meanwhile, second year social science student, Sinovuyo Ngcevetsha has been sleeping in the SRC offices for two weeks. She said many other students are sleeping at the SRC offices and other places on campus due to the fee blocks.
Ngcevetsha said that they are barely getting any food and some students are sleeping on the floor. She added that even though UCT is a public institution, students can’t afford the high fees. Many students rely on NSFAS, said Ngcevetsha, adding that students want UCT to help them.
Second year social science student, Sinovuyo Ngcevetsha has been sleeping in the SRC offices for two weeks.
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