EXPLAINER | Downing pens: Why are UCT academic staff planning to go on strike?

Academics at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are preparing to strike for the first time in history.

The Academics' Union (AU), which represents the majority of academic staff, said they were still waiting for a strike certificate from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) after negotiations with university management deadlocked.

But the next few hours for the university remain crucial as registration for first-year students opens.