Carlo Petersen
FIVE Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) members, who were involved in “violence and vandalism” at UCT, have been barred from the university – they will need permission from the university’s vice-chancellor to enter the premises.
A final court order was granted in the Western Cape High Court barring students and RMF members Chumani Maxwele, Alex Hotz, Masixole Mlandu and Zola Shokane from UCT.
Another RMF member, Slovo Magida, who is not a student at UCT, has also been interdicted and restrained from entering the premises.
The accused have also been ordered to pay UCT’s costs (more than R250 000), including the costs of two counsel.
Judge Rosheni Allie granted UCT the order against the five yesterday, saying: “Laws prohibiting damage to the property of another, appropriating the property of another and physically assaulting another can’t be said to be morally wrong.”
Allie deemed Magida guilty of hate speech because he wore a T-shirt with the words “Kill All Whites” written on it during the protest.
UCT’s executive had requested that RMF members move a shack they had erected in Residence Road to a space 20m away. The protesters erected the shack to highlight a lack of accommodation.
Maxwele allegedly pushed a student who walked through an area which had been cordoned off by RMF near the shack.
Hotz, who is RMF’s spokesperson, allegedly carried a tyre to the area where protesters had already made a fire that was used to burn paintings and photographs.
Mlandu allegedly defaced a statue of Jan Smuts and Shokane admitted to participating in the removal and burning of artworks.
UCT spokesperson Patricia Lucas said taking the students to court was not a decision UCT took lightly.
“We took this step out of concern for the safety of staff and students, as well as the security of campus property.”
Hotz said: “Students are completely demobilised. Students are scared the same will happen to them and student movements seem to be dead.”
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