CPUT exams postponed after petrol bomb attack

The Cape Peninsula University of Technology's (CPUT's) Cape Town campus was petrol bombed on Monday morning just hours before students were set to write their final examination.

"Around 6am the main entrance of CPUT's Cape Town campus was petrol bombed.

The fire mostly affected the mail room and the fire department and Saps were on the scene‚" said CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley.

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Trouble started at the weekend already when police‚ security guards and protestors clashed at the university's Bellville campus.

SA Police Service spokesman Sally De Beer said that three incidents took place between Saturday and Monday morning‚ but that no arrests had been made.

• Saturday at 4pm a petrol bomb was thrown and discharged at the Bellville CPUT auditorium causing fire damage.

• Sunday at 1.20am a fire started at the Bellville CPUT cleaning building on the campus and it is yet to be determined how it was started.

• Monday at 6.10am a petrol bomb was thrown and discharged at the Cape Town CPUT mail room causing fire damage. "This office can confirm that three incidents were reported at CPUT Bellville and Cape Town campuses during the weekend until today‚" De Beer said.

"Cases of arson have been registered and are being investigated and no one has been arrested as yet." According to a source‚ protesters claimed they were not students and were paid to join the uprising by student bodies.

Exams were scheduled to start on Monday but the university decided to postpone them by a week.

The following notice was issued:

Dear Staff and Students‚ We have spent the weekend working very hard‚ with the assistance of skilled mediators‚ to reach an agreement with the stakeholders below to ensure the return to normal operations on our campuses. The statement below outlines the conditions for this to happen.

I realise that we have made some principled comprises in order to "buy peace"' at our University. I want to apologise to you for the terrible impact that this agreement may have on the extensive planning that has already gone into the scheduling of examinations‚ but I can only appeal to you to assist in whatever way you can to implement these decisions.

Please understand that if there was any other way to bring about stability we would have done so. Joint Statement agreed by University Management‚ #FMF activists‚ SRC representatives‚ NEHAWU‚ CPUEU and #OutsourcingMustFall Representatives.

The University in consultation with the above stakeholders has reached an agreement to postpone exams by 1 week until 21 November 2016. This will create an environment conducive to learning so that students who choose to write exams in the Nov/Dec sitting may be able to do so.

In addition‚ students who choose not to write exams in the current sitting‚ will be allowed to choose to write in January 2017. Both examination sittings will have equal status and will have the normal supplementary examination option subject to the normal rules.

The examinations for final year students in Education and Health Sciences that have already commenced shall continue as previously communicated.

Special Notes:

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1. An environment conducive to learning shall include:

• a. The normal academic support including access to tutors and all academic staff.

• b. Access to all learning amenities on campus including the library.

• c. Access to wi-fi.

2. In order to restore an environment conducive to learning:

• a. All staff will return to their workstations on Tuesday 15 November.

• b. The withdrawal of private security needs to take place from Tuesday 15 November.

• c. A task team will assess the readiness of on campus examination venues so that they can be utilised for examinations from Monday 21 November.

3. Management and student leaders undertake to ensure that there are no disruptions at venues that are needed for the preparation for exams or the writing of exams.

Kind Regards Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr John Volmink

- TMG Digital/The Times