Down to the wire at UCT

A preliminary agreement aimed at restoring calm at the University of Cape Town hangs in the balance on the eve of exams.

The agreement, released yesterday, is a culmination of meetings between the university management and student organisations, but unhappiness about workers' demands could trigger renewed protests.

UCT said vice-chancellor Max Price met student organisations on November 3 and discussions continued until the early hours to decide on the agreement.

Issues it covers include financial exclusions, student debt, police on campus, deferred exams and insourcing campus workers.

Price hopes student organisations will sign the agreement. "Even if we do not have a final sign-off by all stakeholders and council, we will encourage those student formations to commit to a disruption-free examination session," he said.

But #FeesMustFall's Kagiso Sekhoto said they were "continuing the campus shutdown" with medical exams due to start today and other exams tomorrow.

"Although we are pleased with the student demands being met, we will not sign this agreement.

"The main reason why we are still protesting is because the agreement of insourcing between management and Nehawu doesn't entail conditions about a minimum wage, medical aid and job security for the workers. These meetings should have been transparent to workers, not just the two parties."

The SRC's Rorisang Moseli said it was still reviewing the agreement, which was "quite primitive". It was "slightly disrespectful" for management to publish an agreement that had not been finalised.

Moseli added that management had issued a letter threatening to expel students and workers who interrupted exams.

"We want to have further discussion on the deferral of examinations for those students who haven't been able to study."

UCT registrar Hugh Amoore said yesterday that the option to defer exams had been reopened and students had until November 27 to decide.

Thousands of students at UCT and the University of the Western Cape have signed petitions calling for year-end exams to be optional because of the difficulties of studying in a disruptive environment.