WITS STUDENTS STAGE A SIT -IN AND A HUNGER STRIKE AT THE VICE-CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE

Protest action (Sit-in)

We sit here in the waiting area waiting for the leadership of the university to deal with issues that affect us largely. These issues have been expressed to the relevant structures and we have been waiting for those structures to initiate the relevant action but up till now we have been WAITING.

These are the issues:

· ATM in Wits Education Campus

Since February the SRC has been fighting the battle of the ATM in WEC. Hitherto, we have managed to convince the Security Advisory Committee and the Student Services Advisory Committee about the urgent need of an ATM. Both structures agreed that it should be installed as soon as possible. Recently the risk management team of the legal office made a site visit and decided where the ATM will be. We appreciate the efforts up to this point but wish to state firmly that until we receive a written commitment, with a date, of when an ATM will be installed, we remain unconvinced that the management will respond positively to this request. It must be said that we are not this year’s SRC is not the first to address this issue and we feel the management is not taking this issue with the seriousness it deserves. We have expressed these views to the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof. Ballim. This peaceful action seeks to get that written and binding commitment from the management since we have been waiting.

All campuses have an ATM. It is only the WEC campus that does not. Are Education Students and staff any less or less deserving? WEC has three (female) residences that are sometimes forced to walk at night to the medical campus to withdraw cash for their needs. Students in EOH and Knockando also rely on that ATM or use the garages nearby. Due to the distance, this exposes them to danger at night and time-consuming walks to get what they need for their basic survival.

· Extra Bus on Fridays and Sundays

This issue has also been on the table for very long. Since the first block we spoke to the head of residence about the matter, he agreed verbally, but thus far he has not shown any commitment to this. We have recently forwarded a petition of +/- 700 signatures from students to the VCO and requested a response to be given on Tuesday the 10^th of August. This has not been received. We have said it very clearly that on Fridays and Sundays between 18H00 and 21H30 there is high volume of students that use the bus. As such, the buses congested and incapacitated to deal with the number of students. The issue seriously affects students using the bus around those times and the Residence Life is well aware of this.

We request that a date when the extra bus or a comprehensive alternative will begin. This must be in writing as a form of a commitment to the student’s dissatisfaction.

· Bus Stop at Braamfontein Centre Residence (BC)

This also has been an issue we have discussed with the powers that be. We request that the Circuit bus make a stop at this residence, particularly at night and early in the morning. The Jan Smuts gate and the distance to BC has been declared a “hot spot” for crime. As such, students are endangered and their study patterns are affected. The ARC has spoken to the management of the complex and they have agreed. Luxliner has indicated that they can initiate this only if a directorate is given by Residence Life This has been difficult to get from this office. We also request a commitment in writing of when this will start.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO EAT AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO LEAVE THE WAITING AREA UP UNTIL WE GET WHAT WE HAVE REQUESTED ABOVE.

Bafana Lesley Nhlapo
SRC President
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
074 581 1586
072 211 4378

Nombulelo Nyathela
SRC Policy, Legal and Constitutional affairs
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
076 900 1029