SASCO enraged by the despotism of WSU administrator and saddened by the Presidency's abdication of its duties
27 August 2013
The South African Students Congress (SASCO) is utterly disgusted and highly infuriated by the decision of the administrator to close the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) on a lousy argument about protection of students and surrounding communities. This was communicated in a memorandum released by Professor Van Staden that students vacate residences before 12pm tomorrow (28 August).
We call on the administrator to reverse this ridiculous and misguided decision. Students of WSU have never been harmful to themselves and to the various communities they are staying in. Students have been engaged in various peaceful protests insisting that they want to go back in class. It is police that are a threat to students as they continue to harass them at their residences at night and are continuing to make it a crime to be a student of Walter Sisulu University.
The administrator of this institution day in day out is always confirming the problem we had with him and his entirely corrupt administration. In our NGC last year we made the following observation about the bogus administration of WSU: "We are concerned that most administrators appointed by the Department of Higher Education have become reckless despots who run our universities as if it is their personal entities. These administrators have deepened the crisis they were appointed to resolve. The administration appointed at the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has hitherto dismally failed to bring order and stability in the university."
This is why we called for the disbandment or recall of this administration. This prolonged labour impasse is full proof of the failure of this administration. This sits along a variety of problems faced by students more particularly those who could not get NSFAS even though they qualified and those that got NSFAS but are still significantly underfunded. So it must be known that it is not only workers that have problems in the institution also students.
We note with great shock and sadness the negative response by President Zuma's office through presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj on the calls made by students that he intervenes on the labour dispute that has shut down the institution for almost six weeks. The presidency has decided to wash its hands of the problem and say that it will not intervene at this stage as if things can be more worse that they already are. We take great exception at this response and we think that it is a serious disregard of the children of the working class. We believe that leaders of the movement ought to take responsibility in times of need and provide direction.
If education is said to be a primary priority of this government as it is always alleged, it is high time that there is a decisive intervention at this institution in order to resolve the impasse of labour and students. It is true that if this was happening in a formerly white institution, where children of politicians and the rich study, there would have been a long resolution coming from the highest echelons of government and the state.
We are also calling for cool heads between the management and the unions and we are appealing that they realise the fact that children of the working class are suffering as a result of this prolonged dispute. We cannot allow a situation where an ego contest from both parties compromises the education of students and thus compromising their future. SASCO will be urgently meeting with the department of higher education and NEHAWU in an attempt to resolve this stalemate.
Statement issued by Ngoako Selamolela, SASCO President, and Themba Masondo, Secretary General, August 27 2013
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