The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, condemned the destruction of university infrastructure that occurred during student protests at CPUT. He warned that campuses cannot continue to resort to damaging buildings when disputes between students and management reach an impasse.
This statement came amid preparations by Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) to resume classes on September 14th after disruptions that forced the government to send a delegation to the institution. Manamela welcomed the agreement reached between the parties at CPUT but expressed serious concern over threats to university infrastructure, including attempted arson.
Manamela noted: 'What I really want to say about what happened at CPUT is, of course, I applaud the parties for coming together and reaching an agreement, but I am very concerned that when we are dissatisfied with what is happening on campus, the first victims are things that cannot speak back, such as buildings,' he stated, adding: 'We tend to burn them instead of talking to each other.'
Manamela's Stance on the Right to Protest
The Minister reported that prior to the attempted arson, he had spoken with CPUT representatives and learned that the idea of burning some university buildings was being openly discussed on campus. Manamela emphasized that the constitutional right of students to protest must be protected, but stated that this right cannot justify the destruction of infrastructure objects.
He reminded that the right to protest has been used to achieve some successes, but he believes it is time to reconsider the approach; instead of threatening buildings, dialogue should be pursued. In his opinion, threats to buildings are not constructive and lead to setbacks.
Resumption of Classes on September 14th
Manamela confirmed that an industry delegation had been sent to CPUT, and the resumption of classes was expected on September 14th. He expressed regret over the lost time and the fact that interested parties on campus spent a lot of time discussing issues.
Despite this, he welcomed the final reconciliation of the parties. However, Manamela warned that CPUT's fundamental financial problems have not disappeared simply because the university withdrew its financial recovery plan. He clarified that the withdrawal of the plan only means that the problems must be addressed differently.
The Minister urged both the university management and student representative councils to maintain open lines of communication so that disagreements do not escalate into work stoppages and destruction. He advised management to interact with students without closing doors to the SRC if they have questions, and conversely, the SRC should not isolate themselves but should negotiate and communicate with management when problems arise. Manamela concluded that funding remains one of the main threats to stability in higher education, as universities, students, and the entire system struggle against growing financial pressure.
