‘Medunsa strike to continue’

07/08/2014. Medunsa students peacefully leaving the university after they were asked to do so. Picture: Oupa Mokoena

07/08/2014. Medunsa students peacefully leaving the university after they were asked to do so. Picture: Oupa Mokoena

Published Aug 8, 2014

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Johannesburg - Medunsa students have vowed to continue their strike despite an agreement on Thursday that they return to campus.

This is according to Malosi Marakalala, president of the disbanded student representative council (SRC), who said on Friday morning that should the university not overturn its decision to disband the SRC and meet the rest of their demands, the students would continue their picket on Monday.

“Today has been declared a strike-free day. However, we met the students and they declared that they would continue with a peaceful protest on Monday should an agreement not be reached with the university management,” he said.

On Thursday, lawyers representing university management and students reached an agreement to open the Ga-Rankuwa campus, north of Pretoria. The students were allowed back on campus after being evicted earlier in the day.

University spokesman Kgalema Mohuba said: “We expect that everything will return to normal by Monday… Police are still investigating the incidents (of violence) and going through the CCTV footage.”

Mohuba said a settlement was reached when the SRC agreed to certain conditions.

“The president of the SRC agreed to write and distribute a communiqué indicating that students would cease protests, stop vandalising the school’s property and stop harassing our staff members.”

Marakalala said that despite the SRC no longer having a legal basis to represent the students they would be meeting their lawyers on Friday morning and would return to court on August 15 to deal with the disbandment.

Students have been demanding the removal of certain lecturers alleged to be failing them. They are also believed to be unhappy about renaming the campus Sefako Makgatho.

The Star

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