Exams trump activism for students at CPUT

Student leaders cancelled a march to parliament to force President Jacob Zuma to release the fees commission report - because they had to study for exams.

The students‚ from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology‚ told TimesLIVE they believed Zuma would release the findings soon in any case.

One of the South African Students Congress leaders‚ Nomzamo Madalane‚ said: “Immediately after we released our [protest] poster on Friday afternoon there was a statement released by the presidency on Saturday‚ so we think they are aware of our demands."

She said they had also informed the deputy minister of higher education about their demands. “He was hearing our call but he was a bit hesitant because of the situation currently happening at CPUT and he’s not sure about where we stand exactly. Are we disruptive? Are we the good side or the bad side?” she said.

The members of Sasco‚ which is affiliated to the ANC‚ distanced themselves from violence and vandalism at the university in the past two months which included violent attacks on security guards‚ the torching of cars and university property and the petrol bombing of the historic St Mark's Church in District Six.

They also claimed that these protesters are not supported by the majority of students.

“We have been the ones to say‚ 'OK guys‚ let’s sit down and let’s talk about it'‚ but they have been refusing any sort of engagement‚ they just want to do things their way and it’s their way or the highway.”

Madalane said that the protesters had caused reputational damage to the university and to the student leadership.

Another student leader‚ who asked to remain anonymous‚ said Zuma could be sitting on the fees commission report - which probed the feasibility of free education - as a drawcard in the ANC’s electoral conference at the end of the year.

“Another allegation is that the report will be released after exams so that we can’t get agitated because we are at home and so we can’t mobilise‚” he said.

But Abongile Gayiya‚ chairman of Sasco at the CPUT Mowbray campus‚ said: “South Africa will stand still if we don’t get free education in 2018.”