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SCUFFLE: A security guard from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology pins down one of the protesters. Picture: Masixole Feni
Students and security guards at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s city campus clashed on Tuesday as a protest about registration fees turned violent.
Students were pepper-sprayed and one collapsed after inhaling it. She was rushed to hospital and her condition was not known at the time of going to press.
The trouble started at about 10am when about 35 students affiliated to the SA Students’ Congress (Sasco), gathered at the campus to protest against the R5 000 registration fee.
Security was called in to disperse the group. The students refused to budge and the security guards, who numbered about 10, pepper-sprayed them.
A student retaliated by rugby-tackling a security guard. Other security guards came to their colleague’s aid and pepper-sprayed the student in the face.
The guards also used a stun gun on the student, who fled when the rest of the students dispersed.
Security guards pepper spray a protesting student at CPUT's Cape Town campus. Photo: Masixole Feni
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
A friend of the student who was rushed to the campus clinic and later taken to Somerset Hospital after inhaling pepper spray, said the girl had come from Worcester to register.
The friend refused to be named.
By the time police arrived at the campus, the students had dispersed and all was calm.
While chaotic scenes unfolded at CPUT, Sasco was assuring journalists during a press conference that its members were told not to use violence or damage property as part of the strike.
Sasco held the briefing at the ANC’s offices in the city centre to explain why it had launched the “indefinite” strike, which it said would affect all of the university’s campuses.
CPUT has campuses in areas including Bellville, Wellington, Mowbray and just outside the V&A Waterfront in Granger Bay.
Monwabisi Luthuli, Sasco’s provincial secretary, said R5 000 was an unreasonable registration fee.
Luthuli accused the university of mismanagement and said students affiliated to Sasco rejected the rumoured 12 percent increase in tuition fees for this year.
“As things stand, the university expects students to pay an absurd amount of R5 000 for residential students and R3 400 for Oppidan students (those not living in university accommodation),” said Luthuli.
“If the average South African household is not even earning R2 500 a month, you can’t say R5 000 (for registration) is reasonable,” he said.
He said the organisation was willing to negotiate with the university, but would not accept anything higher than a R2 500 registration fee for students living off-campus.
“We are prepared to pay R3 400 for residential students and R2 400 for Oppidan students for registration.”
“The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, committed, at our national congress, that the amount of R2 500 for registration must be kept,” said Luthuli.
He said the strike, which started yesterday, would continue “until further notice”.
“If we can get a solution tomorrow, we will suspend mass demonstrations,” said Luthuli.
He singled out the office of the dean of students at CPUT for particular criticism, saying there had been no move from the office to develop CPUT.
“Education is not a commodity, it is not something that we sell,” said Luthuli.
He said Sasco would submit a memorandum of demands to the chairperson of CPUT’s university council on Thursday.
“The memorandum will be submitted with all our demands, with fees and maintenance being most important on that list.”
Luthuli said the strike was peaceful, and that Sasco had told its members that no looting and no destruction of university property was permitted.
“Any violent people,” he said, “are not members of Sasco.”
CPUT said: “The council of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology reached a decision to increase class fees and residence fees by 11 percent for the 2012 academic year.
“In addition, a structural price adjustment has been applied to a number of university-owned residences which currently charge significantly lower fees than equivalent quality leased residences.”
It confirmed the R5 000 up-front payment for students in residence.
CPUT offered no comment on the violence.
Last May there were similar scenes at CPUT’s Cape Town campus when a shop was looted and administrative staff were urged to leave their desks during a student protest over registration fees.
sibongakonke.mama@inl.co.za - Cape Argus
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mthoe, wrote
its not like they dont want to pay fees but R5000 for a start is not reasonable, and those blaming the parents some of thes guys are orphans and they are taking care of their young siblings so instead of blaming start helping.
Anonymous, wrote
yes the protesters were also pepper spraying around the registration areas........ quite ironic, no money for registration but can waste money on pepper spray hahaha idiots!!!
Sthe , wrote
SASCO is a socialist student movement which is bias to d working class and d poor.increase of fees was unreasonable and ungovernable not every student can afford to pay dat kind of amount for registration whether they stay in campus owned resident or not.CPUT shud reconsider dis amount
Anonymous, wrote
First year students were only told late in Deceber that the registration fees was going up from R2200 to R3500 this is ridiculous. Why were they not told in July or August this would have given them time to find th funds. When questioning CPUT about the late decision we were told that they only let students know late because they knew there would be problems and they wanted to go on leave first and then be put up with the protest. Do they not realise that people have to budget. Registration is the 20th. Payday is only the 25th for most parents.
cput member of staff, wrote
The protesting students have claimed their protest to be peaceful and I quote " Luthuli said the strike was peaceful, and that Sasco had told its members that no looting and no destruction of university property was permitted. “Any violent people,” he said, “are not members of Sasco,” but are targeting and pepper spraying individual staff members, this too is considered as VIOLENCE!!!!!! The pepper spray stench hangs heavy in our passages as we've been "fumigated" twice already this morning.
darklily, wrote
@John, don't be daft, which culture would ever permit such behaviour...what I'm talking about is Mark's comment is just insane! as much as you try save for ish, other ish always comes up!
John, wrote
@darklily....Are you kidding me what is sasco doing having breifings at ANC buildings for anyway? Why must the protesters act like savages to get their way ??? or is it just part of culture to destroy property when things don't go your way.
darklily, wrote
@Mark, did you not read?? they are not expecting handouts, they are frustrated by the doubling of fees!! "they have 12 years to save" are you kidding me???
Samuel Sefako Motloutsi, wrote
The way some Universities are conducting REgistration processes and Government keep quiet will leave lot of South Africans at street.. Lets not stop people register... R1500 is a clear registration Fee.. Period
Anonymous, wrote
The real problem here is that the fees have not just increased but have doubled. I remember when I was there, I paid R1500 reg for classes and R1000 reg for accommodation. R5000 is just too much.
Mark, wrote
What you people on about here.....The parents or the kid has 12 years to save for varsity, no excuse for not been able to afford it. These people that expect everything for free is shocking. Pure laziness, time for these students to get of their butts and work for their education and stop waiting for handouts. What is with all this last minute stuff of trying to sort things out in this country, They new of the consequences months ago and what the situation was when they applied.
Anonymous, wrote
Ed, wrote
This initial registration fee is quite a substantial amount! Can anything be done to break up this payment. Students just coming out of school will not be able to afford this amount. This stress will be for their parents who are just getting back into the new year and this demand may not be possible.
Anonymous, wrote
It really is sad to have to pay so much for registration only becoz most of these students are really poor and cannot afford this much. NSFAS is not a guarantee because I have my younger sister who has just completed her Diploma but she cannot have her results because NSFAS did not settle her fees and now she cannot find a job. It is really sad!And I am proud of those who fight for their education,I hope that the government will be on their side.
Former Matie, wrote
When I started at Maties in 2007, as a res student, my registration fee was R10 000. This escalated to about R14 000 in 2010. So R5 000? I wish. Fortunately I have studied hard all my life, so my 97% matric average got me a full bursary. This was back when getting 6 As and a 7th A in an extra subject still meant something. My parents would otherwise have been sitting with a huge debt now. Strangely enough, I knew quite a few people with NSFAS bursaries (for which I didn't qualify), who only wore brand names, drove GTIs, and I would see them in class maybe once every 2 weeks. Hmm, I wonder...
Anonymous, wrote
CPUT students come from dissadvantaged backgrounds and there for cannot be compared to those of UCT,STU and Rhodes.If its a crime for them to fight for a better future then let them be peper sprayed at least they r not sitting in the townships and thinking of ways to rob cash in transit vehicles
a CPUT student, wrote
I'm a Cput student and as long as I have been at the institution there have been strikes and I'm talking about 4 years now, its understandable that some of these guys can't afford to pay but delaying other peoples education is uncalled fore, these students need to understand that after 2 years the institution has not increased the fees and after all the destruction of the campus last year I don't blame the institution for the increase, quite or no quite protest these guys can only blame themselves for the increase...ever hear of karma...
Anne, wrote
I was a poor student who could not afford tertiary education. The NSFAS scheme helped me pay for my studies, and after 8 years I have finally repaid them in full. I cannot believe people can be so insensitive about poor students. Do they not deserve a chance at being educated and productive members of society like I have become? I don't agree with violent protests, but have also stood there being degraded and ill-treated because I did not have money to pay for registration. There's got to be a better way, but denying poor students an eduction is just plain wrong!
Neutral, wrote
Clever Trevor, wrote
When will we have the African spring -like the Arab spring?Soon people will be fed up with Leaders that take-Leaders must give.The rich get richer and the poor poorer....Sis man.
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