WSU’s Ibika campus Student Christian Organisation (SCO) chairman Siphelo Mkhuzangwe said the unrest had its roots in a court challenge taken by the South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) to lower the number of seats on the students’ representative council (SRC) from seven to six.
This would increase Sasco’s power on the SRC. It is at present tied with the Pan-African Student Movement of Azania (Pasma) with three seats each.
The seventh seat is occupied by the SCO, who have formed an alliance with Pasma, thus putting Sasco into a minority position.
The campus was hotly contested during the elections last year with high-profile ANC members canvassing for Sasco.
Mkhuzangwe said that before the elections, executive director for student affairs Zoleka Dotwana had said there would be seven seats on the SRC, to which all parties had agreed. But after the elections when Pasma and SCO formed an alliance, Sasco went to court when it realised it would no longer hold the majority.
Sasco deployee Luyanda Tenge, who was the president last year, confirmed the court action and said the court had ruled in favour of Sasco that there should be six seats, not seven. He said the court found the decision taken by Dotwana was against the SRC’s constitution.
Tenge accused the university of failing to abide by the court ruling to constitute the SRC and this had led to the student unrest on Monday.
Acting provincial secretary of Pasma Ayanda Makhabane said failing to constitute an SRC was a stumbling block in the resolution of issues facing students. These included the registration of students who were in debt.
After WSU interim vice-chancellor Prof Khaya Mfenyana announced that the campus was closed, the Daily Dispatch sent questions on why the SRC had not been constituted.
A response had not been received at the time of writing.
In a memo to the university community, Mfenyana said the situation on campus had deteriorated. “University property has been destroyed and the traffic at the public national road has been blocked. This poses serious risks to the safety and lives of all students and staff.”
He said the campus was to be vacated at midday. University security services, together with the support of police, were assisting to ensure compliance with the decision.
Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said police had diffused the situation and no one was injured or arrested. “Cars are now travelling safely.”
SRC president Buhle Tetyana said political party organisations on campus could not agree on the constitution of the SRC.