#OpenOurUniversities: DA condemns shifting of goal posts to prevent Wits from re-opening

7 October 2016

The news that the General Assembly at Wits University, which was scheduled for 12:30 today, has been postponed is deeply concerning. It is a sign of bad faith on the part of the protesting students that after a week of mediation between the students, management and a variety of other stakeholders there has been no indication that the small group at the vanguard of the protests has been able to guarantee that they will "allow" the University to operate peacefully next week.

Of equal concern is that the tactic of shifting the goalposts has been prevalent throughout these protests and today once again is evident as students have now declared that there will be “no education until there is free education." This shows a recklessness and disregard for the needs and concerns of the broad majority of students that beggars belief.

In a statement released by Wits this morning, university management said that “[d]espite all our attempts and the energetic engagement of former Black Student Society and SRC leaders, the mediation process with the protesting students was unsuccessful.” Management highlighted that “[o]ne of the latest demands of the protesting students is that Wits and all other universities should be shut down until government agrees to free education.” 

We hope that this will not mean that Wits will remain closed. The DA urges all students to allow our campuses to re-open across the country. The right to peacefully protest should not break the law and undermine the rights of others to learn.

Indeed, as shown by the student poll at Wits last week, it is only a small group of individuals who are determined to keep our campuses shut, undermining the rights of other students, and hurting the very people who need assistance. 

The real blame must be placed at the door of the ANC government which has allowed this crisis to take root, by under-funding our universities and forgetting about poor students. The DA will continue with its fight to ensure the ANC is held responsible for the mess it created, and that more funding is made available so that no person is denied an education simply because they are poor. 

Issued by Belinda Bozzoli, DA Shadow Minister of Higher Education and Training, 7 October 2016