Cape Town - More than 50 staff members at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) have signed a petition calling for urgent mediation and an end to the eviction of students.
The university has requested that all students vacate residences no later that 4pm on Wednesday.
Students at CPUT’s Bellville campus caused extensive damage after setting the finance building alight for the second time this week.
In their statement, the staff refer to themselves as “concerned and committed staff”, and said the current crisis at the institution was complex and there were no easy answers.
“We recognise how difficult it is to respond to events that unfolded in such a rapid manner and overwhelmed us.
“This week and today the very existence and future of our university is threatened.
“It is thus vital that all stakeholders are respected and listened to with the aim of being understood.”
Staffer Shaheed Mohamed said the students believed there was another group causing the chaos and vandalising property at the university.
“We have spoken to the student leadership and they are saying the burning of the financial building was not by them. There are instigators involved - even at UWC there is a similar group.”
Mohamed added that the group was there to discredit the #FeesMustFall movement and that the students could not take care of the situation.
“Students are unfortunately being swept along and unfortunately the students are not experienced in maintaining the chaos.”
The group of concerned staff members called for all role-players to participate in a process of mediation and conversation facilitated by third parties.
“We request for the urgent opening of channels of communication between all stakeholders on campus, that are ongoing and sustainable, and that have at their centre a future non-violent approach,” the statement said.
In their first statement, the #FeesWillFall movement at CPUT said they condemned the violence, including that of “third forces deployed to tarnish the struggle for free quality education”.
Cape Argus
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