The academic programme has resumed at the Durban University of Technology after classes were disrupted by hundreds of angry students who were demanding that the institution resolves the issues they are faced with. The students shut down the Steve Biko and Ritson Campuses during a protest on Monday and Tuesday. Among the issues raised by the students during the protest is registration, financial aid and the allocation of residence.
Economic Freedom Fighters Student Representative Council DUT president, Sanele Khumalo said it would have been unfair for the lectures to commence when there are students who have not been registered and allocated to conducive residences. He said the conditions they are currently facing do not allow the resumption of classes.
“The SRC led by EFFSC have attended back to back meetings with the management with the aim of ensuring that all pending issues, specially those that are registration related are resolved before the commencement of classes, however the management of DUT have dismally failed to implement all the resolutions proposed by the SRC to resolve the issues of students. The EFFSC shall forever tremble with indignation against the unjust system which seeks to subject students into failure. The EFFSC shall not allow the university to commence with classes while the process of coding and the allocation of students is not exhausted. As we speak, there are about 4000 beds that are short. Another thing, not all first year and returning students have registered; not all students have been allocated to residences; students are allocated to almost 20 percent residences that are not conducive. Students won’t be given their study material allowances; 30 plus percent students are expected to go to classes on empty stomachs. It will be an insult to students to be expected to attend classes without the university fixing these issues,” said Khumalo.
DUT senior director of corporate affairs, Alan Khan said, after extending the registration period by two weeks in order to accommodate students who encountered financial issues, the 2023 academic programme was meant to have commenced on Monday, 20 February, however, the start of lectures was disrupted by a political student organisation who had allegedly threatened and intimidated students, preventing the registered students from entering the university campus
“This was after 98% of all first year students and more than 91% of returning students had successfully registered and were prepared to start the academic year. However, a special meeting with the SRC and DUT management took place on Monday afternoon to discuss the progress made on registration, financial aid and residential allocation for first time entering students and returning students. Given the progress regarding the number of registered students, the payments made by National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the allocation of students in the residences, management and the SRC agreed that lectures must continue from Tuesday, 21 February. The plan is for the academic programme to proceed whilst the university continues to implement measures to assist the remaining students,” said Khan.
Khumalo said: “DUT must stop their arrogance of continuing to allocate students to unconducive residences as if students are being made a favour to be accommodated. We have tolerated enough of the arrogance of this university doing as they please by continuous undermining students. We won’t allow such tendency to continue under the leadership of EFFSC. DUT management must know that students are the vast majority stakeholders of this university and they must know the interest of students comes first at all times.”
A parent of a first year student, Lindiwe Ngema said her son was looking forward to his first day at university but was disappointed when they saw a violent protest outside the campus. “When I was dropping him off on Monday, we saw a chaotic protest outside the gate and I decided to take my son back home as I have seen how ugly these kind of protests can turnout. I hope that whatever issues they are experiencing get resolved to avoid any further delay to academic learning,” she said.
Khan said: “The same group that prevented the start of the academic programme on Monday, 20 February, had attempted to stop lectures from taking place on Tuesday. However, students have since returned to their classes to continue with their lectures. DUT condemns the disruption of lectures and apologises to staff, students, parents and guardians who were affected by the protest action. The university will review the CCTV recordings and those students who may have violated the rules will be held to account.”
