Parliament Condemns Violence At University of Cape Town

Committee condemns violence accompanying UCT protests

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training condemns the violence accompanying the protests about student housing at the University of Cape Town (UCT) earlier in the week.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Ms Yvonne Phosa, said the Committee understands students' frustrations and the sensitive nature of the provision of student accommodation throughout the country.

While we accept that the erection of a shack at UCT's main campus symbolises the desperation for student accommodation at campuses across the country, violence and damage to property have no place at our campuses. This translates to lawlessness, Ms Phosa said. We condemn this latest protest with the strongest contempt it deserves, she said.

UCT students reportedly belonging to the #RhodesMustFall movement earlier in the week sought to raise what they termed the preferential treatment of white students in the provision of student accommodation by erecting a shack on UCT's main campus. Violence occurred when UCT management made an alternative suggestion for the situation of the shack, among other things, and several...