SPU SRC leaders feel ‘victimised’

A DEMONSTRATION was held at Luka Jantjie House on August 23, when student representative council (SRC) president Mawethu Yona was summoned to appear for a disciplinary hearing at Sol Plaatje University (SPU) following student protests.

Five SRC leaders were suspended on August 8. They stated that they were left without shelter or food.

“We were forced to sleep on the streets for nine days. No consideration was made for our safety,” they said.

Charges against Yona include intimidating, being “grossly disrespectful” and challenging management and executive members of SPU, including calling the vice-chancellor “a small boy”; finger pointing and shouting the name of SPU officials in the presence of a large group; disrupting the academic programme; damaging the reputation of the university; and approving the action of students who damaged university property during protest action.

Yona, along with the the SRC treasurer general, Tshidiso Barry Babe, the SRC deputy president, Masego Motlhabi, the SRC deputy secretary, Letlhogonolo Edwin Thintha, and the SRC secretary general, Oarabile Mosweu, was suspended and ordered to vacate the university residence.

They were prohibited from entering any premises owned or controlled by the university or participating in any SRC activities.

The leadership was advised that their continued presence potentially posed an “imminent threat to order and discipline at the university and/or the mental or physical well-being of individuals on the premises of SPU.”

The SRC leadership indicated that they were not allowed to attend lectures and no arrangements were made for them to attend online classes.

“We are falling behind in our studies and were not able to write tests. How can the university suspend only five SRC members and then interdict all SRC members, unless we are being targeted?"

The SRC leaders said they were victims of "double jeopardy".

"We were suspended before an interdict was obtained against us.

“It is a constitutional right to strike. The issues raised, including the shortage of accommodation and defunding of National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) beneficiaries, have not been resolved yet,” they added.

The suspended SRC members believed that they were being victimised for being whistle-blowers when they called for disciplinary action to be taken against the panellists who selected the professional nurse who did not possess a dispensing licence.

“We were warned that the SRC would be disbanded when we challenged the irregular appointment because the health of students was being endangered. The information we provide to management is being used against us.”

During a meeting that was held in May between the SRC and SPU management, the suspended members were warned that the information shared regarding the irregular appointment was in violation of the Protection of Personal Information (Popi) Act.

“The SRC can be charged individually or collectively for this contravention. The SRC should provide proof of the allegations that students were placed at risk. Otherwise, these are irresponsible accusations and place the university at risk.

“The university has a dispensing licence, so staff in the wellness centre just need medical experience. Staff apply for a dispensing licence once they are appointed because the licence would be issued for their current place of employment.”

It was indicated that the professional nurse had since resigned from the university due to the “toxic environment created by people who do not have all the facts”.

The five student leaders were reinstated on August 16 after protest action was stabilised and academic classes resumed.

The executive management acknowledged that some of the affected students needed to write class tests, as they did not want their academic progress to be prejudiced.

“The university reserves the right to pursue disciplinary action against any individual student (whether a member of the SRC or not) should the investigation show there is truth to the allegations.”

They were advised that investigations of misconduct were still ongoing and that the interdict was still in place.

EFF member Pius Tshite believed that the SRC leaders were unfairly suspended while defending the interests of students.

“Students did not attend classes on Wednesday to show their solidarity and prevented Yona from entering the building to attend his disciplinary hearing on Wednesday. It is not his fault."

He indicated that the EFF had hired a lawyer to represent Yona in his disciplinary hearing.

"Our members are being victimised. Yona was advised that he could only be represented by a fellow student without any legal background

"This is while a legal adviser from the university was allowed to attend the hearing. They proceeded to threaten that the disciplinary hearing would continue without him."

Tshite was concerned that Yona would not be able to complete his degree if he was expelled.

"He is also an NSFAS-funded student in his final year."

EFF provincial organiser Donavon Brown added that the suspensions were orchestrated to prevent the SRC leaders from contesting in the upcoming elections.

Sol Plaatje University did not respond to media enquiries.