Amnesty for disciplined students a sticking point in UCT’s negotiations with protest leaders

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has suspended classes “for the rest of the week”.

While “the suspension of the academic programme has understandably caused much anxiety”‚ vice-chancellor Dr Max Price said UCT would “soon make an announcement on how we are going to proceed for the remainder of the 2016 academic year”.

Price said that he appreciates “that the uncertainty…about whether we are open or not‚ is disorientating‚ and exacerbates the stress and tensions inherent in this time of crisis”.

“Unfortunately this is an unavoidable consequence of the current approach that links the successful completion of the academic year to an engagement process with protest leaders‚” he added.

Price said there “are specific areas of disagreement”‚ among them “the question of amnesty for students who have been expelled or rusticated and how the university can approach this matter in the spirit of restorative justice while at the same time not condoning a culture of impunity”.

But‚ he remained hopeful that consensus would be reached as “there is widespread support for teaching and learning to resume as soon as possible‚ including on the part of those involved in the ongoing protests”.

“While there is even a small possibility of breaking the impasse‚ it is an outcome worth pursuing rather than closing for an extended period‚ or trying to work in a hostile securitised environment given what is at stake‚” Price said.

– TMG Digital