Sanelisiwe A. Mabaso

The EFFSC at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) is planning another mass meeting.

This comes after University Management at DUT  released a statement following a student protest led by the EFFSC student representative council (SRC) on Monday.

Yesterday classes were disturbed during the protest where security used teargas and rubber bullets to scatter the crowd. One student, who was dressed in EFF party regalia, was arrested.

In the statement, DUTs senior director for co-operate affairs, Alan khan, expressed disappointment regarding the interruption of classes and the ‘intimidation of non-protesting students’ and said that University Management tried to engage with the SRC but the SRC did not attend the meeting.

“During a meeting between the SRC and the Dean of Students last Thursday, 18 July 2019, consensus was reached on a number of issues. This meeting also created a platform for constructive engagement between Management and the SRC. The University management is disappointed that the SRC did not attend the meeting with the Dean of Students, which was scheduled for this afternoon (22 July 2019), to provide them with feedback and to continue with discussions from their engagements last week,’’ said Khan.

Sandiso Buthelezi, Secretary of the EFFSC said that the EFF wants all lectures to be cancelled until all student issues are resolved.

“We are very clear the Student Services Division has failed a number of times to solve these issues which we have raised in the memorandum, now we want VC to look into our demands and respond positively. In the meantime, cancel all lectures because our students can’t attend on empty stomachs,” he said.

He further added: “Moving forward, we will be convening another mass meeting where we will be expecting the response from the vice-chancellor,”

The mass meeting is planned to take place today at ML Sultan Cane Growers Hall.

This is a developing story.

 Picture: Sibonginkosi Mabika