Students and management at the University of Witwatersrand have reached a compromise and there will be no more protests on campus, representatives from both parties said late on Wednesday night.
”We are still hoping we will get our funding, but this has provided a basis for negotiation,” said Student Representative Council (SRC) president Philemon Lukhele.
The breakthough came after a meeting between senior management and student representatives on Wednesday evening.
It was agreed that students would not be evicted from residences this year, they would be allowed to register next year even if money was owing, and they would also get their results at the end of the year, said Lukhele.
These temporary measures were put in place to allow for constructive engagement between students and management for sources of alternative funding, both parties agreed.
Wits spokesperson Shirona Hassim said the conditions of these agreements would be negotiated at a special meeting on Thursday.
”The university and the students need to engage jointly in seeking alternative sources of funding, including loan funding, to cover the shortfall between what students were expecting and what the university was able to allocate,” she said in a statement.
University activities would resume on Thursday, Lukhele and Hassim said.
The student protest that had been causing chaos on campus since Monday had been essential to the resolution of the problem, said Lukhele.
”It was the only option that was left for students. The university has now realised the capacity of students.”
He said the SRC had agreed to the compromise for the sake of stability, and the continuation of the academic programme.
The protest started after students were given letters last week informing them their financial aid would be cut by up to 50% and they had until mid-year to come up with the difference.
Initially the SRC insisted it would protest until the letters were withdrawn.
During the protests, students sang, chanted and blew football horns in Senate House. Classes were disrupted and students assaulted by the protesters.
Twelve students were arrested on Wednesday for public violence and participating in an illegal gathering. This was after vice-chancellor Loyiso Nongxa opened a case of public violence.
Many students and some academics condemned the university for calling in the police to help deal with the protest.
Buti Malamela, national secretary of the Young Communist League, said the police presence had increased tension on the campus.
In a statement on Wednesday night Hassim said the university recognised there were still many issues to work out, but that the resolution was an indication that Wits was ”able to heal itself and to resume its rightful place as a leading institution.” – Sapa