Suspended Wits SRC president Aphiwe Mnyamana. [Picture: Mail & Guardian]
Suspended Wits student representative council (SRC) president Aphiwe Mnyamana has hit back at his suspension, saying it was a “political move” aimed at intimidating and preventing him from doing his job.
Tensions between the Johannesburg university and students reached boiling point this week when the university suspended the SRC president. Mnyamana was served a suspension, amid student protests over student debt, on the grounds that he had failed to pitch up at a hearing.
Mnyamana said this move was illegal and an act of intimidation. He said he had excused himself from the hearing on Monday due to another engagement.
“I did indicate – and I have proof – that I won’t be able to attend the hearing on that day, so they must postpone the hearing to tomorrow [Tuesday]. That’s within my right. Despite that, Wits University continued to give a suspension order without even hearing my side of the story.
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Suspension
In a statement announcing Mnyamana’s suspension on Tuesday, Wits University noted allegations against him were “of a serious nature”.
“The allegations against him are of a serious nature and relate to conduct that infringed on the rights of others, resulted in damage to property and the intimidation of members of the university community, among other things.”
The suspension means that Mnyamana would not be allowed to access any of the institution’s precincts and residences. He is also barred from participating in university activities and engaging in conduct that constitutes “student privileges” until the legal process is finalised, according to the university.
Mnyamana slammed the move as an attempt to intimidate and exclude him. “Wits has excluded me and that’s a political move to try and intimidate me. I’m not intimidated by that,” he said.
“As of now, this is my campus. I won’t be excluded from my campus. I will enter this campus.”
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Protests
On Sunday, some 200 students marched to Vice Chancellor Professor Zeblon Vilikazi’s home. Angry students, protesting over student debt, allegedly threatened to set his house alight.
This was after the SRC rejected concessions offered by the university after a week of protest. The body demanded that students owing R150 000 or less should be allowed to register for the 2023 academic year.
During the week, the SRC had called upon Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to mediate the issue. The vice-chancellor subsequently excused himself from a meeting between Lesufi, the SRC, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the department of higher education and training (DHET).
“We are still waiting for the vice chancellor to give us a response,” said Mnyamana, adding that the university was “trying to divide student leadership”.
“Our main priority is those students who are sleeping in libraries, those students who are unable to register because they are too poor to afford fees. We are waiting for the vice chancellor to respond,” Mnyamana explained.
He further stated he would be willing to fight the matter in court if it came to that. He said it was inappropriate for the university to suspend him for “doing my job” and vowed not to be silenced.
“My job is to represent all students. They are trying to silence me with that suspension and I won’t be silenced,” he said.
In an interview with Salaamedia’s Selaelo Makhwidiri, suspended SRC president Aphiwe Mnyamana spoke about the Council’s response to his suspension and what they plan to do moving forward. Watch the full interview here.
