Cape Town - Lectures at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) have ground to a halt, with the university on Thursday shutting all campuses indefinitely amid protest action.
The university has also said that residences had to be evacuated by Friday, May 12, and it apologised for postponing its Open Day set for Saturday, May 13.
In a communique to staff and students, CPUT said it was left with “no other choice”.
“Continued violent disruptions, torching of buildings and wanton attacks on institutional infrastructure, have forced university management to close all campuses indefinitely,” CPUT said.
“Unruly students, acting in bad faith with the sole purpose of making the university dysfunctional, have left management with no other choice but to act swiftly and decisively. The safety of staff and students is our primary concerns at this stage,” it said.
Protest action started at CPUT on Monday, when students set fire to a cleaning supply room near the Education Building at the Bellville campus, while a recreational space, the SS Hall CPUT, was torched at the Wellington campus.
CPUT previously said that the issue was largely related to a new NSFAS funding condition that any student who was studying for less than 60 course credits was no longer eligible for accommodation, living and transport allowance.
The university has apologised for any inconvenience caused due to the postponement of its Open Day.
*This is a developing story and will be updated with the SRC’s response once received
Cape Times