Students escorted by police as they march through the city on the fourth day of the ongoing protests.
Image: Lilita Gcwabe
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) students marched to Parliament on Thursday as their protest over ongoing academic disruptions entered its fourth day.
Students travelled from the Bellville campus to the Cape Town city centre in groups, calling for government intervention as they say their concerns remain unresolved and their studies continue to be affected.
The march comes after students said their engagement with university management, including the Vice-Chancellor, did not lead to the outcomes they had hoped for.
"We were hoping to find members of Parliament here, but we were told that they were on recess," said a third-year dental student who joined the protest in his scrubs outside Parliament.
Students huddled outside Parliament gates to discuss the handover of a memorandum after being told that MPs are on recess.
Image: Lilita Gcwabe
Students handed over a memorandum of demands to Parliamentary Protection Services.
"It was underwhelming because we were really hoping for assurances on when we would get a response from Parliament. But all we got was promises," he said.
Students have given Parliament seven days to respond to their demands.
A memorandum of demands for urgent action and intervention by the government.
Image: Supplied
In their memorandum, they call on the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education to urgently summon CPUT, the South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC), and the Department of Higher Education to account for the ongoing challenges affecting dental assisting and dental technology students.
They are also asking the university to provide a report on temporary accommodation, saying more than 1,000 students are currently placed in temporary housing and need clear timelines and solutions.
The memorandum also includes a call for the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor and an investigation into what students describe as administrative failures.
Meanwhile, students say they have received communication from the university, warning them about an interdict that prohibits the disruption of university activities.
Communication via the university's news portal for students, cautioning them against unlawful activity on campus. A copy of the 2023 interdict served on students is attached.
Image: Supplied
A letter from CPUT management states: "Disruptions of the academic programme are a breach of the Code of Conduct of Students. Disruptions of this nature impede the rights of the majority of students to attend classes and for staff to work in a non-hostile environment."
An interdict that was served to students in 2023 is attached to the email to caution students of against taking the same action.
The university has moved classes online while the protest continues.
However, some students say they will continue with their action until their concerns are addressed.
"The university decided to move classes online while the strike happens, but we intend to ensure that they don’t move back to being physical classes while we have shut down the university and wait to be addressed," said a fourth-year dental student.
The protest is expected to continue as students wait for a response from Parliament.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the university had not issued a specific statement in response to the students’ latest demands at the time of publication.
The Department of Higher Education and Training had also not responded to enquiries, while the Tshwane University of Technology acknowledged receipt of questions but declined to comment.
lilita.gcwabe@inl.co.za