Students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are in limbo as classes remain suspended after violent protests forced the university to close campuses and demand that students vacate residences. Thousands of CPUT students do not know when they can return to their studies, as neither online nor in-person classes are being held while the university develops a plan to catch up on academic gaps following several weeks of protest action.
A CPUT representative, Lauren Kansley, confirmed that the decision to suspend the academic program has not changed. She stated that a plan to catch up on academic performance is currently being developed, which will be communicated to the university community after a final decision is made, and that there are currently no classes, either online or in person.
The suspension continues after CPUT closed its campuses and required students to vacate accommodation amid escalating violence during demonstrations, including the burning of the Old Education Building in Bellville.
Protesters' Demands and Failed Negotiations
CPUT warned that this break creates growing pressure on the remainder of the academic year, affecting examinations, grade publication, graduation ceremonies, and practical integration learning programs. Initially, students protested against the CPUT 2027 Financial Recovery Plan, which stipulated that some students must pay up to 7000 random units as an initial registration deposit. The Council later withdrew this plan for further discussion.
Their demands also concern historical student debt, registration conditions, accommodation fees, and access to academic records. The Department of Higher Education confirmed that these issues were included in the memorandums submitted by the students.
Student Uncertainty Regarding Accommodation
For students, the prolonged halt has caused concern about the possibility of making up lost study time. One student from District Six expressed worries about the impact of the unrest on his studies and did not support the violent turn taken by some protesters. A student from the Bellville residence reported that they initially expected to stay in housing until November, and many did not have the means for a sudden trip home.
He stated that the police arrived at the residence and ordered students to leave, but questioned why protesting students blamed them for the destruction. He said: 'Those who burned the campus are not students. You are getting opportunists. Why would students burn what belongs to them?' Asenati Zizi Bege, a member of the South African Student Congress (SASCO), argued that legitimate student structures distance themselves from the destruction and believe that opportunists have infiltrated the protests. He accused the management of trying to divide the student community by ordering the evacuation of residences.
Bege added that students had signed 10-month leases, and some were entirely dependent on NSFAS funding, making an unexpected trip home financially impossible.
Reasons for the Suspension of Classes at CPUT
Nevertheless, CPUT insists that the evacuation was necessary after management received what it described as credible information that violence and infrastructure damage could escalate. Kansley stated that this decision helped calm the situation, and no further incidents occurred after the evacuation.
She also noted that management is willing to engage with student leaders and asserted that even student representatives acknowledged concerns about the use of protests as a cover for criminal activity. Previously, CPUT estimated the damage caused during the unrest at approximately 1.5 million random units.
Meanwhile, attempts to resolve the deadlock have also faced difficulties. Minister of Higher Education Buti Manamela dispatched an industry group to facilitate interaction between CPUT management, the Council, and student leadership after the university closure. However, subsequent negotiations reached an impasse, as student leaders reportedly demanded that two students from each of the four CPUT campuses be present with the SRC as witnesses to ensure transparency. CPUT has repeatedly stated that the academic program will only resume when it can guarantee a safe environment.