CPUT students resist residence evacuation as leaders blame ‘opportunists’ for campus violence

CPUT student leaders are urging their peers not to vacate their residences despite the university's evacuation order, accusing management of employing a "divide and conquer" strategy while distancing themselves from the violence and destruction that has occurred on campus. The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) instructed students to leave their residences after closing campuses and halting academic activities due to growing unrest, which included the burning of the Old Education Building at the Bellville campus on Monday night.

This evacuation has become another point of contention in a dispute that initially began with the university's Draft Financial Recovery Plan (FRP) for 2027 and broader concerns about student finances.

Students have voiced their discontent over proposed minimum upfront payments, existing debt, accommodation fees that exceed NSFAS funding limits, and the withholding of academic transcripts from students who owe the university money. In response to these issues, CPUT Council suspended the draft FRP for further consultation, but protests persisted. Students delivered a memorandum to Parliament on Tuesday, August 18, seeking assistance with their concerns.

However, the dispute has been overshadowed by violence. A District Six student expressed concern about the impact of the protests on her studies and disapproved of certain protesters' violent methods, stating that they should engage in discussions to find a compromise. She described leaving as both surreal and relieving, as the situation had become serious.

Another male student living in a Bellville residence shared that students had anticipated staying until November, but many lacked the financial means to return home at short notice. The university had advised students to remain in accommodation until the end of the academic year, but few had the funds or alternative arrangements.

CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley explained that the evacuation aimed to curb violence after receiving credible intelligence that damage to infrastructure was likely to continue and escalate. No further incidents were reported overnight, and campuses remained peaceful. Kansley mentioned that management had been available for negotiations and hoped for student leadership to resume talks.

She also noted that student leaders had acknowledged potential infiltration by individuals taking advantage of the unrest to commit criminal acts, such as looting and stealing.

The university has estimated the damage from the unrest at approximately R1.5 million, though Kansley described this as a conservative estimate. The building burned on Monday houses the School of Emergency Medical Care, which is home to future paramedics. Bellville South SAPS has opened a public violence case following the fire, but no arrests have been made, and the investigation continues.

Asenathi Zizi Bege, representing the South African Students Congress (SASCO), criticized CPUT's decision to mandate immediate departure, arguing that student leaders advised against leaving as they had signed 10-month accommodation agreements and NSFAS had already paid for some students. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds or other provinces found it difficult to purchase tickets home.

Kansley assured that CPUT would not enforce a "hard eviction" and acknowledged that some students may have valid reasons for not being able to leave, such as financial constraints or disabilities. Residence officials would handle those cases on an individual basis. Bege stated that student leaders were now awaiting feedback from Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education.