Durban varsity given ultimatum

2008-04-15 14:47

Durban - An ultimatum, including a demand that suspended students be reinstated, was handed to management at Durban's Mangosuthu University of Technology on Tuesday after an early morning protest by hundreds of students and residents.

In a memorandum, students said they wanted their demands to be met by Friday.

Demands included the reinstatement of 16 suspended students, among them nine student representative council members.

Students also wanted criminal charges against 125 colleagues, who were arrested during a protest in March, to be dropped.

In addition, a demand was made for the resignation of the institution's chancellor, Professor Aaron Ndlovu.

Earlier, students carrying sticks and knobbkerries protested outside the university's gates over the suspension of the 16.

Suspended SRC president Brian Masondo said on Tuesday the suspended students, including the nine SRC members, were all members of the South African Democratic Students' Movement which is aligned to the Inkatha Freedom Party.

Asked why he was suspended, Masondo said: "We are alleged to have instigated and participated in an unauthorised strike."

However, it was not immediately clear if Masondo had in fact been axed from the SRC itself.

Highway closed for hours

According to Masondo, the SRC was now being run by three people - two of them members of the South African Students Congress (which is aligned to the ANC) and an independent person.

On Tuesday, anger was also express by a student, who declined to be named, over the appointment of a security firm on campus.

The student said that following last month's strike, one of the two security firms on campus had its contract terminated. Some students said the apparent reason was not taking a strong enough stance against the protesters.

The student said it took less than eight hours to appoint a new security firm and he questioned the university's tender procedures.

Hundreds of students, residents and parents converged at university at 03:00 on Tuesday.

Police said residents tried to break down the entrance gates.

Captain Khephu Ndlovu said no arrests had been made but that there had been several unconfirmed incidents reported to police.

A large portion of the Mangosuthu Highway was closed of for nearly three hours.

An Umlazi councillor, Mdu Nkosi, said although he believed the tensions were not political, many residents and students felt differently.

Nkosi said the suspended students had been at home since March and they were concerned about their futures.

Hoping to resolve issues

He added there was a concern that no reasonable explanation for the suspensions had been forthcoming.

He said some management members were affiliated to the ANC and some members of the SRC were affiliated to the opposition IFP.

A community leader, Welcome Jama, said a hearing for the suspended students was scheduled for May 11 and that it was hoped the issue could be resolved then.

University spokesperson Sanele Zondi was not immediately able to comment.

The memorandum was eventually handed over to management and the crowds began dispersing by 09:30.

- SAPA