Cape Town - The higher education, science and innovation portfolio committee has expressed its concern at student protests taking place at institutions of higher learning.
This comes after the committee was briefed by the South African Union of Students and the South African Technical Vocational Education and Training Students Association.
A number of institutions such as UCT, Wits, Durban University of Technology, and University of KwaZulu-Natal have experienced student protests since the beginning of this year.
Committee chairperson Nompendulo Mkhatshwa noted that they had embarked on a two-week oversight visit programme to institutions in KwaZulu Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga in January.
The visits were followed by a meeting with the Department of Higher Education and its stakeholders in February.
Mkhatshwa said despite the recommendations the committee made during these interactions, the committee remained concerned by the ongoing protests that disrupted the start of the 2023 academic year.
“I am concerned that some of the institutions that we as the committee visited during the 2023 state of readiness oversights, were now having collisions; in particular Capricorn TVET College,” she said.
Mkhatshwa said the committee had noted that there was simmering tensions and cautioned the higher education sector not to assume that because there were no protests that challenges have been addressed.
She said the committee was reiterating its recommendation on the need for the revival of stakeholder engagements at the institutions.
Mkhatsha also expressed concerns about the arrests of University of KwaZulu-Natal students and the suspension of the SRC president at Wits.
“The committee is of the view that there might be more students who have been suspended or received notices of suspension at various institutions.”
Mkhatshwa also said the committee has requested from the department and the student leadership provide the specific number of students who have been arrested or served with suspension letters at the various institutions.
“It reiterated that it supports student protests as an expression of their right to protest and implored on students to ensure that the protests do not infringe on the rights of others and that property is not destroyed.”
She added that the committee has recommended training on “civic education” and “conflict mediation, negotiation and resolution” for all stakeholders in higher education, including senior management of institutions.
“The committee remains concerned about the overuse and over-reliance on private security on campus as it has no appreciation of institutional culture and cannot be held to account.
“The committee said the calling of armed security takes place too early and the protests turn into violence as a result,” Mkhatshwa said.
Cape Times