Johannesburg - A time of crisis. That’s how University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor Max Price described the situation at universities countrywide - which appear to be in a stranglehold amid many radical #FeesMustFall protests.
But despite this, all major institutions of higher learning have indicated they'll push ahead to complete the 2016 academic programme, because if they don't, warned Price in an announcement on Saturday, the consequences would be dire.
Price said UCT, which had experienced nearly three weeks of disruptions, would reopen on Monday.
Classes at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), another troubled institution, had been moved to the Wingfield Military Base in Goodwood.
Stellenbosch University management said classes would proceed “uninterrupted” from Monday while the University of the Western Cape (UWC) said it would first engage with students, staff and the general student body before “hopefully” resuming classes on Tuesday.
Price, who was punched on Friday - purportedly by a student, said he was aware of the risks.
Another wave of violent demonstrations hit at least two universities in the province this week.
UCT spokesperson Elijah Moholola said the university was still assessing the extensive damage done to the ventilation system of the geological sciences building after as-yet-unidentified protesting students set fire to a double-cab vehicle parked close to it on Friday. Fumes and smoke infiltrated the ventilation system which, Moholola said, would cost millions of rand to replace.
Buildings at two CPUT campuses also suffered arson attacks on Wednesday. CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said losses were expected to run into “many multimillions”.
“We are now reaching the point of no return in terms of saving the academic year, which adds to the urgency of our current decision,” Price said in his announcement.
“Our situation is this: if classes start we can still save the teaching term and write the exams between November 7 and 25. If we do not return on Monday, the academic term is lost and the consequences are absolutely dire. In other words, we are out of time.”
The student protests are being monitored and recorded by police and those caught on camera committing a crime would be charged.
As student protests continue at KwaZulu-Natal tertiary institutions, including the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Durban University of Technology (DUT), the SAPS public order policing (POP) video unit has been recording footage to enable them to track to down problem students.
This is happening at all campuses across the province.
Independent Media spotted POP video recorders at DUT’s Steve Biko campus and UKZN Westville and Howard College this week.
When national SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Sally de Beer was asked about the role played by the video unit, she refused to explain. However, in an email she said: “The SAPS is not prepared to divulge operational information.”
A video recorder from the POP video unit, who did not want to be named, said they had been recording footage since the start of the protests in August.
“These kinds of recordings are important to identify students who are breaking the law and can be used in court as evidence. We also collect footage from CCTV cameras that are installed at the campuses,” he said.
Meanwhile, rampaging at universities continued this week.
UKZN spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka said the cost of the damage since August was estimated at R16-million.
He said the figure could increase as insurance was still accessing the extent of new damages.
The universities have reported that the costs to damaged property and the cost of extra private security has ran into millions of rand since the start of the new wave of free education student protests.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has reported that damages to property alone this year were estimated at R100-million.
Arson attacks on the university's auditorium and a laboratory alone caused damage amounting to approximately R20m.
UJ media relations man Herman Esterhuizen said: “In the last 10 days we have had several arson incidents that were all fortunately detected early before major damage was caused. But slight damage was done to two lecture venues and some windows.”
Esterhuizen said costs related to the deployment of security are impacting negatively on the university's resources, which would have been used in support of productive research, libraries or to assist poorer students.
He said the university has spent up to R15m on private security services across its four campuses.
Wits communications manager Shiron Patel said they do not have all the figures in yet for the damages, but the damage caused to doors and windows at Senate House in one day was R38 000.
“We don't have figures in yet. Last year, it cost the university about R1-million to repair damages caused by #FeesMustFall,” she said. In terms of the cost of private security, Patel said: “Private security costs us between R1m and R1.5m a month. However, it differs, depending on the level of services that we require.”
She said some of the damage to properties and other costs incurred included several windows and glass doors that were smashed on the Braamfontein campus, as well as classrooms that had been flooded. Also, the cost of removing graffiti on an almost daily basis continued to escalate.
The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, which has been closed since September 20, has not recorded damage to property, according to its deputy director for communication, marketing and corporate relations, Debbie Derry.
Sunday Independent