A group of concerned parents who resorted to court in a bid to force Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to resume its academic activities yesterday reached agreement with the university to try to resolve their differences through a mediator.
The agreement, which was made an order of court, requires NMMU to employ the services of an independent mediator to engage all stakeholders, including the Student Representative Council, the university council, #feesmustfall, Sasco, Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command and the NMMU Black Stokvel/Marikana in an effort to resolve the impasse which had led to the closure of the university.
NMMU has been closed for two weeks as a result of fees protests.
The concerned parents this week launched an urgent application in which they sought to force NMMU and its acting vice-chancellor Sibongile Muthwa to resume academic activities and normal business operations within 48 hours, to use private security companies or police to prevent illegal activity by protesting students, to obtain an interdict against protesting students in the event of ongoing illegal activity, and to enforce the student disciplinary code.
NMMU gave notice it would oppose the application and arrived at court yesterday ready to argue their case.
But both parties have now agreed to the mediation. However, the agreement stipulates that if, by tomorrow, the parties feel that despite constructive engagement, no meaningful progress has been made towards a successful resumption of academic activities, the NMMU or the parents group could return to the high court.
Muthwa maintained that the application was an attempt by the group to usurp the discretionary powers bestowed on the NMMU and the VC.
“Effectively, (the group) asks this court to run the NMMU in the midst of the crisis by making a substitution order of the most invasive kind.”
The matter was postponed to October 18 to allow for the mediation and for the parties to report back to court.
NMMU and parents agree on mediation
The agreement, which was made an order of court, requires NMMU to employ the services of an independent mediator to engage all stakeholders, including the Student Representative Council, the university council, #feesmustfall, Sasco, Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command and the NMMU Black Stokvel/Marikana in an effort to resolve the impasse which had led to the closure of the university.
NMMU has been closed for two weeks as a result of fees protests.
The concerned parents this week launched an urgent application in which they sought to force NMMU and its acting vice-chancellor Sibongile Muthwa to resume academic activities and normal business operations within 48 hours, to use private security companies or police to prevent illegal activity by protesting students, to obtain an interdict against protesting students in the event of ongoing illegal activity, and to enforce the student disciplinary code.
NMMU gave notice it would oppose the application and arrived at court yesterday ready to argue their case.
But both parties have now agreed to the mediation. However, the agreement stipulates that if, by tomorrow, the parties feel that despite constructive engagement, no meaningful progress has been made towards a successful resumption of academic activities, the NMMU or the parents group could return to the high court.
Muthwa maintained that the application was an attempt by the group to usurp the discretionary powers bestowed on the NMMU and the VC.
“Effectively, (the group) asks this court to run the NMMU in the midst of the crisis by making a substitution order of the most invasive kind.”
The matter was postponed to October 18 to allow for the mediation and for the parties to report back to court.
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