UCT 2017 academic year off to a late start

The University of Cape Town's academic year is set to start on March 13.

According to a statement by the institution‚ the late start is as a result of several programmes‚ such as a mini semester and differed exams‚ which were implemented to complete the 2016 academic year. The university was at the centre of bruising #FeesMustFall protests last year.

Despite the turmoil‚ the university emphasised that it remains the top ranking university in Africa. In addition it recorded the highest number of National Research Foundation related researchers in the country.

The institution has been flooded with applications.

Some of the more interesting statistics made public by UCT include:

• That 26‚416 first-year applications were received yet it can only enroll 4‚200;
• 22‚470 South Africans and 3‚946 international students applied;
• There has been a 12% increase from prospective first year students this year; and
• The total student population for 2017 is about 29‚000 at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the faculties of commerce‚ engineering and built environment‚ health sciences‚ humanities‚ law and science.

On Monday the ANC in the Western Cape warned that protests at universities are expected to be more violent this year. However the party said it would not ''allow the disruption'' of yet another academic year.

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE