Update from UWC's Executive Management 7 October 2016
As an important stakeholder of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) community, I
wish by means of this communique to update you on the developments on campus.
As you are aware, many students on university campuses across the country have been
participating in protests under the banner #FeesMustFall. Since last year, students have
been calling for no fee increases and ultimately demanding free higher education.
This year, the protest at UWC started this week on Monday, 3rd October, with the demand
for a campus shutdown, with the protesting students blocking the gates and preventing
staff and students from entering the campus. Classes were disrupted, students were
prevented from entering the library and some staff members were asked to vacate their
work stations.
Having learned from last year’s experiences and recent experiences in other campuses, we
decided to suspend all classes on Wednesday, 5 October 2016, with a view to ensure the
safety of students and staff and to minimise destruction.
Meanwhile we are continuing our efforts to engage with the Student Representative Council
(SRC) and the broader student formations to resolve the current situation. In this regard,
the University’s Executive Management and I have issued an invitation for a multistakeholder
meeting of students to deliberate on students’ concerns.
We remain committed to ensure the completion of academic year and hope that we can
address our institution-specific issues raised by the students. We plan to resume the
academic programme by Monday, 10 October 2016.
We regret the inconvenience caused by the student protest and we plead with parents and
students to be patient as we try to restore normality to the institution.
For any further information, kindly contact the University Registrar, Ms Nita Lawton-Misra,
on 021 959 2111, alternatively by email:registrar@uwc.ac.za.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Tyrone Pretorius
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
