Walter Sisulu University Buffalo Campus has been closed following action by Fees Must Fall protesters. Photo (archive): Siphokazi Vuso
14 October 2016
Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Buffalo City campus was until today (14 October) unaffected by the most recent spate of Fees Must Fall protests. In August the Fees Must Fall protesters boycotted classes for about two weeks. Today there was no, or almost no, teaching on the campus in East London. It was quiet when GroundUp visited the campus today with no academic activity visible.
The shut down followed mobilisation by the South African Students Congress (Sasco). On 12 October Sasco called for the shutdown. On 13 October Sasco members addressed students outside their residences calling upon them not to attend classes today. They told the crowd of students that all their issues were left unresolved by the management when they suspended their protest in August. The members further told students there will be no classes or buses transporting students until they get a report back from the universal council if fees will increase or not.
SASCO member Sfiso Zwane told GroundUp that they have suspended all academic activities. “We are waiting for a report back from the university council … We are doing this because we want the president to take us seriously,” he said.
GroundUp could not get comment from the university because at the time of publication the council was in a meeting.
Meanwhile the Pan African Student Movement of Azania (PASMA) opposed the shut down. It wrote on its Facebook page that it supported Fees Must Fall, but wished to stick to a resolution that committed to waiting for the university’s vice-chancellor to make an announcement on the fee increment and other demands.