by VIRGILATTE GWANGWA AND GOITSEMANG TLHABYE
Pretoria - Students protesting against fee increases for next year have threatened to use force and violence should any university in Pretoria be operational on Tuesday.
The students closed down the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Unisa and other technical and vocational education and training centres in the city on Monday.
University of Pretoria management decided to move the October recess forward and will reopen on October 10 for the start of the fourth quarter.
TUT students in Ga-Rankuwa and Arcadia blocked campus entrances for most of the morning.
Frans Ngobeni, EFF Student Command leader at TUT Ga-Rankuwa, said: “Our decision to join the #FeesMustFall national call is supported by the numerous other problems that management is not addressing adequately.
“We refuse any increase of fees and registration fees and demand upkeep of residences.
“We also want sufficient transport for students who travel between Ga-Rankuwa and the Arcadia campuses for lectures.”
Sefako Makgatho University also shut its gates in what student leaders said was a peaceful protest.
Student leader Shani Mhlongo said they were not taking part in #FeesMustFall as the university had not yet made a pronouncement on fee hikes.
Mhlongo said they wanted an end to victimisation by some lecturers and better training equipment in their classes.
“We lack resources. Our classes do not have enough equipment. We struggle to compete with graduates from other universities in the work arena because we don’t have the same advanced equipment,” said Mhlongo. But departmental spokesman Harold Maloka said the department did not provide equipment to any institution – it was the responsibility of universities. Moreover, the department did not get involved in issues of the curriculum, he added.
In the CBD, Mabina Zikho, of the Socialist Youth Movement at TUT, declared: “All universities in Pretoria will remain closed until our demands have been met.”
All campuses would be closed until Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande had declared free quality education for all, he said.
The students initially shut down TUT and then made their way to the department’s offices, where they demanded to speak to Nzimande. But the doors were closed in their faces and they were informed the minister was unavailable.
EFF Student Command member and protest leader Tshepang Makgatlha said the minister was forever unavailable whenever they wanted to see him.
“We cannot say we did not expect this; they always tell us the minister is not available every time we want to talk to him.”
Makgatlha said all student leaders met on Saturday and decided that institutions of higher learning in Gauteng needed to be shut down.
All universities were represented at the meeting, including Wits, Unisa, TUT and the colleges. “We are acting on our resolutions and demand free quality education now. We want to render Gauteng ungovernable.”
On their way to Unisa, the students disrupted classes at Denver Technical College in the city centre and advised students to join the movement. They chanted #FeesMustFall and sang Struggle songs at they made their way to Unisa campuses.
The students also disrupted classes at the Unisa Sunnyside campus and made way to the main campus, but security guards barricaded the entrance.
Zikho told security guards the students’ only request was for the campus to close. He said the fight was not only for those at the protest but also their children. “Security guards fall under the so-called missing middle; we are fighting for your children as well.
“Students helped you to fight outsourcing; assist us in our fight for free education,” he told the guards.
After gaining access to the campus they demanded to speak to vice-chancellor Professor Mandla Makhanya. He was unavailable, and th university’s head of operations and adviser to the vice-chancellor Somadoda Fikeni appeared instead.
He told students management had heard their message and would meet to decide on a way forward. TUT spokeswoman Willa de Ruyter said the recess would start today to minimise disruption of academic activities and possible damage to property.
The fourth term will resume on October 10.