The Wits School Representative Council SRC on Wednesday informed the media that it will cease fire for 24 hours should its demands be met.
The students are protesting the fees and accommodation that have left some students without a roof over their heads.
The Deputy President Kamogelo Mabe said they met with the management on Saturday, March 4, 2023, and presented their demands. However, the council felt that what the university management had agreed on was not enough as the students are facing real problems and are sleeping in the boardroom where the media conference was held. The students continued their protests on Monday and Tuesday.
The Wits management proposed that if the SRC wanted to talk to the Vice Chancellor, they should cease fire. The meeting took place on Wednesday evening.
The SRC’s demands are:
- Police in and around the university campus must be withdrawn, effective immediately.
- The highly paid bouncers must leave immediately.
- The immediate stop of any processing of any further suspensions
Tshiamo Chuma Secretary General of Wits SRC said “they met with the Guateng Premiere Panyaza Lesufi, NSFAS, and officials from Higher Department of Education. The discussion was to find a way forward, between the students and the university, the institution didn’t show up to the meeting.” The council takes this as a sigh of bad faith.