On Monday evening, the university confirmed that it had suspended SRC president Aphiwe Mnyamana but Mnyamana was alleged to have defied the suspension.
“We are aware that Mr Aphiwe Mnyamana breached his suspension order by sneaking on to campus in a car driven by someone else,” said Patel. “He has been requested to leave. This will be taken into consideration when the disciplinary hearings take place,” she said.
Five other students were suspended on Friday.
Patel said the students were not suspended because of the protest but because they broke the university’s rules. She said they disrupted classes, blocked entrances and damaged property. She said the charges against each individual were different depending on the evidence the university had against them.
On Mnyamana, the university said he had failed to appear at a suspension hearing scheduled on Monday despite having been provided with ample opportunity to make representations at such a hearing.
“The allegations against him are serious and relate to conduct that infringed on the rights of others, resulted in damage to property, and the intimidation of members of the university community, among others,” the university said.
The university said Mnyamana will not be allowed on to any of Wits’ precincts, participate in university activities or engage in conduct which constitutes “student privileges”, and will not be allowed to stay in Wits’ residences until the legal process is finalised.
Members of the university SRC met on Tuesday morning and resolved to continue the protest.
“We have resolved that we are going to continue. There is no member of the SRC that is suspended. We don’t recognise those suspensions that are unconstitutional and [meant] to oppress us,” said SRC member Karabo Matloga.
He said the president was still the president and indicated that student leaders were supposed to have a mediation session with the university involving Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi.
“However, the university has declined the request for government to try to mediate in the situation. At this point they are not willing to come to the table,” he said.
Matloga said the university could continue to suspend students and SRC leaders but they didn’t care and would continue to protest.
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Wits says it will eject students, seeks SRC leader who defied his suspension
The University of the Witwatersrand on Tuesday said it intended to evict suspended students from campus amid ongoing protests.
“They will be evicted today [Tuesday]. Five of them they got their suspension from Friday already and didn’t come to the hearing, and didn’t make their presentation,” said Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel.
She said some students might be suspended in coming days. The protest could only end through engagement with the student leaders and the management, she said.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi had been scheduled to visit the university on Tuesday but did not make his appointment with vice-chancellor Zeblon Vilakazi.
Patel said Lesufi and Vilakazi were meant to meet one-on-one before meeting a broader group. She said the premier cancelled as he was in Westbury with police minister Bheki Cele.
“They will reschedule the meeting as soon as possible,” said Patel.
On Monday evening, the university confirmed that it had suspended SRC president Aphiwe Mnyamana but Mnyamana was alleged to have defied the suspension.
“We are aware that Mr Aphiwe Mnyamana breached his suspension order by sneaking on to campus in a car driven by someone else,” said Patel. “He has been requested to leave. This will be taken into consideration when the disciplinary hearings take place,” she said.
Five other students were suspended on Friday.
Patel said the students were not suspended because of the protest but because they broke the university’s rules. She said they disrupted classes, blocked entrances and damaged property. She said the charges against each individual were different depending on the evidence the university had against them.
On Mnyamana, the university said he had failed to appear at a suspension hearing scheduled on Monday despite having been provided with ample opportunity to make representations at such a hearing.
“The allegations against him are serious and relate to conduct that infringed on the rights of others, resulted in damage to property, and the intimidation of members of the university community, among others,” the university said.
The university said Mnyamana will not be allowed on to any of Wits’ precincts, participate in university activities or engage in conduct which constitutes “student privileges”, and will not be allowed to stay in Wits’ residences until the legal process is finalised.
Members of the university SRC met on Tuesday morning and resolved to continue the protest.
“We have resolved that we are going to continue. There is no member of the SRC that is suspended. We don’t recognise those suspensions that are unconstitutional and [meant] to oppress us,” said SRC member Karabo Matloga.
He said the president was still the president and indicated that student leaders were supposed to have a mediation session with the university involving Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi.
“However, the university has declined the request for government to try to mediate in the situation. At this point they are not willing to come to the table,” he said.
Matloga said the university could continue to suspend students and SRC leaders but they didn’t care and would continue to protest.
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