Unlawful protest action on DFC

CIRCULAR TO ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS

 

2010/469

 

Students at DFC participated in unlawful protest action on the Doornfontein Campus yesterday and again today. Classes have been disrupted, staff and students have been threatened and intimidated and property has been damaged.

 

About two weeks ago, the DFC SRC initiated protests over what they perceived to be unfair financial and academic exclusion of some students in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at DFC from the second semester. A meeting was held on 28 July 2010 between representatives of the SRC and the Registrar and the DVC (Finance) to discuss their concerns. A follow-up meeting between the Registrar and the SRC President took place on 3 August to further clarify matters. The Registrar analysed the concerns expressed by the students on academic exclusions and took immediate steps to address the matter. The decisions taken by the Registrar were implemented in the Faculties of Science and FEBE. Last week the SRC informed Management that they were dissatisfied with the fact that not all their demands had been met and that some students were prohibited from registering for modules in the second semester, after having failed these modules in the first semester. They informed Management that they would "strike" on Tuesday 10 August, to force Management to meet their demands. On Friday 6 August a series of discussions between various roleplayers took place, in an attempt to avert the "strike", but to no avail. Students were also informed that the proposed protest action was unlawful.

 

When the protest action took on serious proportions on Tuesday, the Pro Vice-Chancellor went to DFC to speak to the student leadership. A meeting was arranged for Thursday 12 August between SRC representatives and members of Management to again discuss the issues. Students have chosen to continue their unlawful activities, despite having been informed of the meeting that will take place on Thursday.

 

Management deplores the activities of the students and also deeply regrets that normal teaching and learning activities have been interrupted and that staff and students feel unsafe. Management is doing its best to manage the situation. The SAPS has been called in, and in collaboration with the UJ Protection Services are trying to normalize the situation.

 

 

 

PROF DEREK VAN DER MERWE

PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR

 

2010-08-11