A planned engagement aimed at helping Nelson Mandela University students resolve pressing concerns was disrupted on Friday, forcing higher education deputy minister Yusuf Cassim and university officials to move the meeting and ultimately hold a closed session.
Some of the concerns included funding, accommodation and health issues.
The visit had brought senior officials from the department, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), health and several SETAs to the university to address students’ concerns directly.
However, disruptions at the scheduled venue, including a fire on the road, the entry of masked students and clashes between opposing groups, prevented the planned engagement from proceeding as intended.
Cassim had been scheduled to engage with students at the university’s south campus from 11.30am.
The visit was intended to provide students with an opportunity to raise their concerns directly with the relevant entities and seek assistance with issues affecting their studies.
However, the proceedings were disrupted by groups of students, resulting in the venue being changed and repeated interruptions once the engagement resumed.
Students disrupted preparations at the initial venue, with a group starting a fire on the road.
A group of masked students also entered the venue and switched off the lights before fights broke out between opposing student groups.
The engagement was then moved to another venue, where students continued to interrupt proceedings as Cassim addressed them.
The disruptions included singing and loud remarks directed at Cassim, while further altercations broke out between opposing groups of students and members of the university’s security team.
The disruption ultimately forced Cassim to call for a closed session with university management, student leadership and representatives from the relevant entities.
Cassim said the officials had been brought to the university to deal with specific problems affecting students and that the disruption prevented students from accessing that assistance.
“What has happened here is something that needs to be examined very closely.
“When I wrote to the institution last week, they responded to welcome my visit, as has been the case at all institutions.
“Institutions have all welcomed my visits, because they have their own issues they would like to ventilate and ensure that they are taken up on their behalf.
“After that we mobilised the partners that are here,” Cassim said.
Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (Daso} West constituency leader Bax Nodada said the disruption prevented students from receiving assistance on issues including funding, bursaries, health, meal allowances and accommodation.
“It is a sad indictment not only on these rabble-rousers but also on the university when a pre-confirmed visit by a deputy minister is refused by the institution after citing alleged security concerns.
“This turnabout was nothing more than an institution bending to the will of certain students playing political games.
“They have no care for others studying at the university,” Nodada said.
“I will be writing to university management to request an urgent meeting so that such an infringement of students’ rights to assistance is never repeated.
“The students who led today’s [Friday] chaos must be held accountable for their actions.”
In a statement, the university said it had initially acknowledged and welcomed the proposed visit but later raised concerns about the programme, security and its timing alongside the upcoming SRC elections.
“The university regrets the instability and uncertainty that has arisen on the eve of an otherwise robust and peaceful build-up to the SRC elections.
“It is particularly regrettable where engagements intended to advance student interests have the unintended consequence of disrupting the academic environment in which those interests must ultimately be realised.
“The university remains available to engage constructively on arrangements that enable the important objectives of the deputy minister’s office to be advanced while ensuring that these responsibilities are appropriately balanced.”
Despite the disruption, Cassim, university management, the relevant partners and the SRC continued with the engagement in a closed session to address the outstanding student issues.
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