Stellenbosch University obtains interdict against protesters

21 September 2016

Cape Town - Stellenbosch University has obtained a court interdict against students protesting over university fees, spokesperson Martin Viljoen confirmed on Wednesday.

This comes after some students across the country, including a group at Stellenbosch's main campus and its medical school in Tygerberg, rejected Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande's fee structure for 2017.

A group called #Feesmustfall Stellenbosch 2.0 posted earlier on Facebook that about 30 students had been served with an interdict and told to leave the Lilian Ngoyi auditorium, where they have been gathering as part of their protest.

They occupied the main library on September 16 to highlight their stance on university fees and their demand for decolonised education. They were removed by security guards.

Nzimande said in his announcement that NSFAS students and students from homes where the income was less than R600 000 a year would not see an increase for a second year running.

Students who fall outside that category are at the mercy of universities who are allowed to announce their own increases. Nzimande said this must be capped at 8%.

Stellenbosch University has already indicated that it needs a minimum increase of 8% to be able to continue offering the levels of education it has been offering.

On Tuesday some students blocked the entrance to the Tygerberg campus to highlight their unhappiness with Nzimande's announcement. At a meeting, students said they had been manhandled by guards they called the "Men in Black" and were traumatised by the way they had been treated.

Further information on the interdict would be released later.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.