Student protests halted teaching at three of
South Africa’s top universities on Monday as
demonstrations spread against fee increases
after months of growing activism on campus.
Officials at Rhodes University, University of
Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the
Witwatersrand (Wits) announced classes were
suspended due to the wave of protests.
Thousands of students have attended rallies
focused on hikes in fees that many say will force
poor black students further out of the education
system.
Protesters at Johannesburg’s Wits University
blockaded entrances in recent days as students
demanded the proposed 10.5 percent fee
increase for 2016 was scrapped.
A late-night meeting on Saturday between
students and university officials led to a
suspension of any decision on the increase while
negotiations are held.
The Wits management said in a statement that
“the university will officially be closed on
Monday” as talks continued.
The universities maintain that the hikes are
necessary to provide quality education.
Teaching at UCT, Africa’s top-ranked university,
also came to a halt, with management describing
the disruption of classes by protesting students
unlawful.
Students at UCT earlier this year led a high-
profile and successful campaign for the removal
of a statue of British imperialist Cecil John
Rhodes from the campus.
Protests have been held regularly at several
South African universities targeting the limited
racial transformation of education since the end
of apartheid.
Students at Stellenbosch University have been
lobbying for more classes to be taught in English
rather than Afrikaans, the language of the
former apartheid government.
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