Cape Town - “The amount of money we spend just on tuition and accommodation alone, I can hardly afford – let alone groceries and toiletries. Last month, I went a week and a half eating baked beans and oats because I couldn’t afford anything else, and my friends say ‘you should have let us know’, but no one wants to share their struggle… because we feel ashamed of it.”
This was the plight of Stellenbosch University student Sascha Egelhof as students affected by the high price of tuition shared their testimonies on Wednesday when a 2 000-strong crowd brought the campus to a standstill, demanding that fee increases be scrapped.
Tempers flared as students addressed each other and called for solidarity, and the protest was briefly interrupted by an altercation between an EFF and ANC member.
The students then marched to the Wilcocks building and demanded answers from management.
Representing university management, Professor Nico Koopman attempted to address the students, but was heckled.
The students have also called for the removal of an interdict served on them by the university after they occupied the Admin B building on Monday night.
The students claim they were removed forcefully, but on Wednesday Koopman could only say that a decision to remove the interdict had not yet been made by the university.
Egelhof said her mother was one of the first coloured people allowed to study at the university and that her fees are more than R35 000 a year.
“When you’re filling out forms, they ask if you’re previously disadvantaged, but my parents joke about being currently disadvantaged because there was never enough money to do more than just get by,” she said.
Egelhof added that she had worked overseas to make enough money to study.
“Yes, I owe the university money, and yes I am going to get my invoice instead of my degree until I’m able to pay the balance that my bursary won’t be able to cover, but I’m not going to let that stop me.”
Student Representative Council vice-chairperson James de Villiers said the students were upset that management again failed to listen to them, deciding to “rather incite fear through the meritless expectation of violence”.
“Students have continually emphasised and proved that they are peaceful in their protest and sit-ins,” he said.
“We continue to call on management to remove the interdict and to apologise for the violent manner in which they have engaged with students.”
Student activist organisation Open Stellenbosch (OS) said the protests would continue for the rest of the week.
“We will not budge until we have a meeting with council,” said OS member Simone Cupido.
She added that the group would not waiver on their stance of having no fee increases.
Stellenbosch University had not responded to a request for comment at the time the Cape Times went to print.
@lisa_isaacs
Cape Times
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