Walter Sisulu University believes it has brokered a deal with protesting students after a two-week stand-off, but students say they will not return to campus until they see action.
The Daily Dispatch learned yesterday that students at the Buffalo City and Mthatha campuses will not attend classes until they have seen progress on issues agreed on with management.
WSU spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo said yesterday that there was no clear undertaking from students on what would happen today.
Tukwayo said academic programmes were continuing as normal at Butterworth and Queenstown campuses.
“Staff at Mthatha will return to work and resume operations as normal. Buffalo City campus staff went back to work last week but the students will have a mass meeting. I’m not to their agenda,” Tukwayo said.
She said there had been resolutions to grievances raised by students and “WSU staff are ready and expect students back in class”.
The spokeswoman said management had met with student leaders from Mthatha and Buffalo City on Wednesday last week in East London and ironed out their differences.
The deal with students included:
That an “online” residence allocation system will be used together with the manual system and be implemented by the information, communication and technology expert and the residence manager. Campus management will establish a residence monitoring task team;
Day to day maintenance of CCTV cameras and biometric access control for Mthatha;
Relaxation of conditions for those students who were allowed to register but not allowed on university residences as part of their student disciplinary committee sanction;
Students whose applications for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) were approved will first be allocated rooms in the remaining 20% of the rooms that are still available. Once these are exhausted students with approved NSFAS applications will be allowed to look for private accommodation in Buffalo City; and
lThat the Campus Management Committee will fast-track the procurement process for mattresses, shower curtains, stoves and microwaves for Buffalo City, among other things.
WSU’s Buffalo City student representative council (SRC) president Thulani Landu confirmed that students had agreed with management.
“But, we will be having a mass meeting . We will stay away and .
“These are the implementation days to assess whether the university is implementing what has been agreed upon.”
Landu said the mass meeting would be held at BCC’s Potsdam Great Hall at 10am.
Mthatha campus SRC president Melikhaya Mcitwa said that the students would not attend classes until management implemented what had been agreed upon.
Students await visible progress
The Daily Dispatch learned yesterday that students at the Buffalo City and Mthatha campuses will not attend classes until they have seen progress on issues agreed on with management.
WSU spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo said yesterday that there was no clear undertaking from students on what would happen today.
Tukwayo said academic programmes were continuing as normal at Butterworth and Queenstown campuses.
“Staff at Mthatha will return to work and resume operations as normal. Buffalo City campus staff went back to work last week but the students will have a mass meeting. I’m not to their agenda,” Tukwayo said.
She said there had been resolutions to grievances raised by students and “WSU staff are ready and expect students back in class”.
The spokeswoman said management had met with student leaders from Mthatha and Buffalo City on Wednesday last week in East London and ironed out their differences.
The deal with students included:
That an “online” residence allocation system will be used together with the manual system and be implemented by the information, communication and technology expert and the residence manager. Campus management will establish a residence monitoring task team;
Day to day maintenance of CCTV cameras and biometric access control for Mthatha;
Relaxation of conditions for those students who were allowed to register but not allowed on university residences as part of their student disciplinary committee sanction;
Students whose applications for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) were approved will first be allocated rooms in the remaining 20% of the rooms that are still available. Once these are exhausted students with approved NSFAS applications will be allowed to look for private accommodation in Buffalo City; and
lThat the Campus Management Committee will fast-track the procurement process for mattresses, shower curtains, stoves and microwaves for Buffalo City, among other things.
WSU’s Buffalo City student representative council (SRC) president Thulani Landu confirmed that students had agreed with management.
“But, we will be having a mass meeting . We will stay away and .
“These are the implementation days to assess whether the university is implementing what has been agreed upon.”
Landu said the mass meeting would be held at BCC’s Potsdam Great Hall at 10am.
Mthatha campus SRC president Melikhaya Mcitwa said that the students would not attend classes until management implemented what had been agreed upon.
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