Fort Hare students continue stay-away as talks deadlock

University of Fort Hare students are continuing with a stay-away this morning as a meeting between the Student Representative Council (SRC) and management reached a deadlock yesterday.

The two parties met to discuss a way forward regarding the issues in the nursing sciences department that have seen the disruption of academic programmes in the entire East London campus.

SRC president Mosuli Cwele said they wanted management to lift the suspension of three nursing students who demonstrated against the removal of their head of department.

“Our argument was that management must allow the students back to class while they continue with the disciplinary hearing‚ but they refused‚” said Cwele.

He said students were still on a stay-away as there had been no mass meeting with students to inform them to go back.

“We want to have this matter resolved as soon as possible‚ but by the look of this the management is not willing to get this back to normal. Time is not on our side as students were supposed to be busy preparing for the end-of-year examination‚ but we have a management that does not care about the future of the students‚” he said.

Cwele said they were considering getting a mediator.

Yesterday a group of singing students approaching the campus were dispersed by police with rubber bullets. University spokesperson Khotso Moabi was not immediately available for comment.

- Daily Dispatch