WSU denies campuses are under lockdown

Walter Sisulu University’s Buffalo City Campus remained closed on Tuesday after student leaders closed it on Monday.

This happened as security guards took on responsibilities of administrative work at the university’s Ibika Campus as students were not allowed to enter the premises.

In Butterworth, guards prevented students from entering the university’s campus there.

SRC secretary at the  Buffalo City Campus, Lifa Makonco, told DispatchLIVE on Tuesday morning that they were at the Potsdam site to make sure it remained closed.

“It is a peaceful shutdown, no-one is intimidated or harassed.

"All offices are closed,” he said.

Makonco said they were going to move to other sites to make sure they were all closed.

Student leaders are demanding to meet university vice-chancellor professor Rob Midgley over what they termed a registration mess.

SRC premier Sipho Sizani told DispatchLIVE on Monday that the online registration system the university was using was a “disaster”.

Sizani said though the registration for first years was closed on Friday last week, “the majority of the students have not registered”.

Sizani said there NSFAS-funded students that were struggling to register as they appeared to be owing.

Nehawu convener at the Buffalo City Campus, Pumlani Mbanya, said they had not received an explanation why the campus was closed.

“There’s no communique that was sent to any staff members informing of any student actions and grievances.

"As the interested parties for education of our students and betterment of our country we are in a dark,” he said.

DispatchLIVE witnessed how desperate students were at the mercy of security guards who had taken on administrative duties.

During a visit by DispatchLIVE on campus earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of students were seen outside the campus while the administration work was being done by security staff in the guard house by the entrance of the campus.

University spokesperson Yonela Tukwayo told DispatchLIVE that Buffallo City Campus rector Dr Cawe Novukela had told her that he he had not escalated the matter to vice chancellor Rob Midgely “because they have dealt with the issues of the Buffalo City Campus SRC as a campus and a campus management.”

Tukwayo confirmed that there were minor disruptions on campus, “but the campus was never totally shutdown. Even when there was disturbances, staff members carried on working until the end of the working day,” she said.

Tukwayo the VC was not running away from meeting with students, “but student leaders are aware that when there are campus issues, campus rector is the ultimate authority on the campus who make those decisions,”she said.

In regard to the situation in Ibika Campus in Butterworth, Tukwayo said the registration process was stable.

“A communique from the Unversity circulated on 27 January 2020, clearly states that “students who may be struggling with registration from where they are should use the registration guidelines provided on the university website or visit the nearest WSU campus for assistance. Each campus has a designated venue to assist such applicants.”

She said the situation at the Butterworth campus stays true to the statement  as registration facilities on campuses, including a Butterworth, have been made accessible to first time entering students and returning students needing assistance with registration, viewing of exam papers and matters of academic exclusion.

“For campus safety and crowd control measures, the Campus has provided security staff with a list of all students’ names who have applied at the campus for applicant verification and access control at the campus gate,” she said.

“The university can confirm that students who are found sitting outside are those who have lost login pins and awaiting status updates on their application status, which can be done online,” she said.