Professor Daya Reddy’s first day as the interim vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town on Tuesday could not have come at a more challenging time for the institution.
He has, however, called on the campus community to show the same unity it did during Covid and the fires of 2021 that ravaged parts of the campus.
Late last week, the situation on campus came to a head when police were called to campus to quash an unlawful protest against which the executive had sought an interim interdict last month.
On his first day, Reddy took to the online communication channels of the campus and said: “I am assuming office during a particularly challenging period for the university as a result of, among others, the ongoing student protest action” that resurfaced last week.
He said mediation between the executive and the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) was being facilitated by external parties and he hoped this would “resolve the current impasse”.
He said that “unlawful acts” had affected all on campus and acknowledged the “resulting anger, anxiety and frustration”.
While the institution “upholds the right to protest action”, the unlawful breaking of the interim interdict meant that public order policing was called in as an “effort to de-escalate the situation”.
I have watched from a distance when this university community responded in a united and supportive manner during recent challenges such as the pandemic and the April 2021 fire.
— Professor, Daya Reddy
Reddy’s interim leadership position comes hot on the heels of a power conflict that saw ousted vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng take an exit package of about R12m. Sue Harrison, another member of the executive, was then temporarily put in charge just as protest action broke the interdict.
Over the past few weeks, frustrated academics have shared with TimesLIVE Premium their frustration at the lack of communication with the campus community.
Reddy acknowledged this in his first campus-wide communication, saying: “I concede that staff and students have not been kept abreast of developments to the extent expected, or required. We are working under rapidly changing and fluid circumstances.”
Reddy, however, remains positive and has asked all on campus to show the same unity exhibited during the pandemic and the fires that raged across the campus two years ago.
“I have watched from a distance when this university community responded in a united and supportive manner during recent challenges such as the pandemic and the April 2021 fire,” he said by way of illustration.
Sue Harrison, who acted in the position for a few days while an interim VC was considered, sent out a communication earlier explaining that the institution “upholds the right of everyone to legitimate protest” but that it was not legitimate protests that were the reason for law enforcement services being called to the campus last week.
She said: “On 8 March, a group of protesters engaged in unlawful disruptive action on campus — violating the rights of non-protesters to conduct their academic business.”
She said this had come after the interdict which itself was only sought “after exhausting alternative ways to prevent unlawful, disruptive actions on campus” in mid-February.
She said two protesters were arrested for violating the court order and that the police services followed “standard operating procedures” after objects were thrown.
She concluded: “I know the presence of law enforcement services on campus is a cause for concern for everybody. I assure you that they will only be present on UCT campuses to respond to unlawful protest activities under the interdict.”
The SRC said Harrison’s decision to call in the police was “an arrogant call” and pointed out this was the first time in six years that police had entered the grounds of the institution. It also noted that Harrison was “white”, which was met with much criticism on social media.
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