We as the South African Students Congress (SASCO) Cape Town branch wish to communicate our stance on the recent happenings on our campus and institution.
As SASCO we do not endorse any victimisation of students by the institution. We have witnessed on numerous occasions, students being victimised by the institution for standing their ground and advocating for the liberation of all students, more especially the total liberation of African students. The system has acted in a way that seeks to silence student leaders and ensures that they are hesitant to fully execute their duties as student leaders and thus operate on a “yes mam, no mam” basis.
As SASCO we are not convinced that the actions taken against the LSRC Chairperson fall squarely into the category of victimisation. The LSRC Chairperson, who has recently held the institution at ransom because of an appearance he had to make at a Disciplinary Hearing, has behaved in a manner that is reminiscent of the lacklustre attitude of the LSRC throughout the year. Substituting their misplaced understanding of radicalism with anarchy, perpetual instability and rascalism. We feel that student leaders cannot be held to a different set of standards and processes as the students they claim to lead. Student leaders must not use mass support as a proxy to shy away from accountability, to open this door is to open the door of anarchy and hypocrisy. We do not promote the behaviour that was portrayed by the LSRC Chairperson during the registration period which eventually led to the 3 charges that were presented against him. The LSRC Chairperson could have handled this matter differently, had he been responsible and of sound mind, could have engaged in the process and got by in from students without disrupting them from their core business at university. There is a need to develop the leadership skills of the SRC. We are more than willing to facilitate a capacity building workshop for the SRC. We also aware that all these events done by pasma is because they are supporting the current LSRC Chairperson to be the next president of CPUT. This means that should by any chance pasma win CSRC, student governance in CPUT will be sent to the recycling box.
Pasma has failed to discipline their deployees and hold them accountable for their actions. Never in the history of CPUT has student governance degenerated the way it has this year. In 2017 we witnessed SRC members becoming rogue miscreant marshals in uniforms. Ask any PASMA SRC deployee (from CSRC to LSRC) about their work or something that they should have basic knowledge of- DOLOLO- they know nothing about their duties.
This year the Business Faculty (which is the biggest faculty at CPUT) went down the drain because of the work of pasma. From physical SRC fights in the office of the Dean, to the low admission of first years, to the low appeals accepted at this year. We dare you to ask the LSRC Business Faculty Rep about anything related to her SRC duties, DOLOLO. There was not even a Faculty Council formulated this year. How are student problems meant to be resolved when there is such negligence from LSRC? This is one example out of many. If anyone wants an example of failure and delinquency they only need to look at this year’s SRC
This year, there was no transparency in the finances of this institution because the LSRC Treasure was AWOL. He was absent and nowhere to be found because he was busy fulfilling his in-service duties and thus could not concentrate on his SRC duties. SASCO had to intervene in NSFAS issues and financial assistance for students. The very same R8 million that the SASCO Deployed 2016 SRC fundraised for in 2016 that PASMA disputed last year and said there is no such amount yet this year we are seeing the fruits of it as many students are benefiting from that scholarship. We dare the SRC to call an SRC AGM where they can account to students on that they have done and achieved this year.
This year we even witnessed a dead but living president. The President has been an absent president, absent in capacity, absent in delivery, absent in articulation and absent in performance. The CSRC president has failed on numerous occasions to represent students on all accounts. The only issues that the president represented were in his limited contribution to tender committee and lining his pockets from bribes of service providers. We have a corrupt president, corrupt in thinking, corrupt in work ethic and corrupt in actions. The CSRC president has failed to even address students on issues that matter the most and pasma has fully supported this behaviour even though they are well aware that it is not building student governance in CPUT. It has also been reported that at tremendously important meetings such as council which is the biggest descion making body of the institution the president instead of advocating for us students, he would rather stare at the roof or play candy crush and eat food that is available.
We are also aware that the LSRC Chairperson of the Bellville campus, which is also a pasma deployee, was sent back to his beloved country which he is a citizen of because of presenting fraudulent papers. This event occurred after he returned to South Africa from a weeklong vacation in Namibia. A vacation paid for by the institution. He was sent back to his home country at the Cape Town International Airport on Friday, 08 August 2017. This also put the two other innocent female student lives at risk as they were also associated with him and thus could not gain easy access into the country because of being allied with an illegal immigrant.
We are also aware that the LSRC Chairperson of the Bellville campus, which is also a pasma deployee, was sent back to his beloved country which he is a citizen of because of presenting fraudulent papers. This event occurred after he returned to South Africa from a weeklong vacation in Namibia. A vacation paid for by the institution. He was sent back to his home country at the Cape Town International Airport on Friday, 08 August 2017. This also put the two other innocent female student lives at risk as they were also associated with him and thus could not gain easy access into the country because of being allied with an illegal immigrant.
As SASCO, it has been brought to our attention that the Dean of Students, booked transport for students from Bellville to Cape Town campus yesterday to come and assist with the shutting down of this campus. We find this to be disturbing as these actions mean that the Dean is in total support of the activities that transpired on Monday, 14 August 2017, and would rather prefer a standstill in academic activities that are main objective of the running of this institution.
We have also witnessed without a sound the new found love relationship between the residence supervisor and pasma. This new relationship has permitted pasma members to changes residences at the middle of the year yet countless students where rejected because there was “no space available”. Many students who truly need residences where forced to squat this year and some sleep at Student Centre yet there rooms available for political friends. Whatever pasma has against him is truly strong enough for him to operate as the oppositions pleases.
We also question the authenticity of the DVC of Academics whom has allowed academics at CPUT to degenerate to the state it has. He has kept quiet on all issues that require him to be vocal and take a stance and in some instances an unpopular stance. We furthermore question the legitimacy and confidence of the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor who has failed to act within the scope of his duties. He has failed to lead this integrity as matter of fact he has acted with fear. Firstly with closing down the institution prematurely when workers were protesting and the recent campus shutdown was a cream on top of it. This has risked academic activities and these decisions where taken without the consent of the SRC again proving the disregard that the management has towards student leadership. The VC needs to act fearlessly and take our institution to greater heights, however if he continues operating in this manner, we might as well table a motion of no confidence in the VC.
The CPT LSRC LHC Officer (res and transport) has dismally failed CPUT students. Students came running to SASCO from the beginning of the year because they could not get assisted from the dramatic officer who thinks life is a drama scene from some low budget Lokshin Bioscope. He has failed to assist students on numerous accounts and is only good at showing his face at events that seeks to give praise to the LSRC for their unknown good work.
We have also noticed with great disappointment for humanity the attempts of pasma to drag the name of our CSRC deployee for a case that was resolved 2 months ago by the judicial office. They were trying to use this as a SRC campaigning strategy that they were hoping would work in their favor. Rape should never ever be used as something to laugh about and campaign over.
Students of CPUT are sick and tired of the constant strikes that have been happening on our institution. Students want to learn and graduate and leave CPUT. Students refuse to be citizens and ancestors of this institution. Silindiwe emakhaya nezatifiketi zethu. There are numerous unfruitful and useless strikes, this trend needs to stop. As academics, we know how to follow protocol and strikes are seen as the last resort.
As SASCO we are pro saving our institution from all these illiterate people who claim to be leaders. That’s why we say #SaveOurInstitution. Save it from corruption. Save it from no transparency. Save it from lack of accountability. Save it from lack of administration. Save it from the lack of university academic programs. Save it from hooligans. Save it from uncoordinated strikes. Save it from populism.
As SASCO we seek to champion the interests of students and seek to ensure access and success in this institution, by fighting for more and better accommodation, more computer labs, more and better-equipped library, lower costs of education etc. We seek to achieve these through mobilizing the broadest sections of students and rallying them behind the call for FREE HIGHER EDUCATION in our lifetime.
Issued by:
Luchulumanco Nanto
Branch Secretary
062 685 4615
Nomzamo Madalane
Branch Chairperson
076 565 5284
