Agreement to open dialogue
13 October 2016 - Wits University
Update from the Senior Executive Team (10:00):
University activities
All University activities go ahead today as planned. No incidents were reported overnight.
Management's engagement with students
Student leaders and Wits management agreed last night to meet to open dialogue on the issue of access to quality, free, decolonised higher education.
The meeting will be livestreamed via streaming.wits.ac.za
Students will elect a delegation of 20 to meet with representatives of the Senior Executive Team including the Vice-Chancellor and Principal and the Dean of Students.
All parties agreed that the meeting will be held today and will be livestreamed. The parties are working via the mediators to determine an appropriate venue.
The students requested that the meeting be held on the Ground Floor of Solomon Mahlangu House today. Management has agreed to this request but only from 17:00 onwards so that lectures and University activities in the building are not compromised today. Otherwise, an alternative venue may be found.
We are waiting for confirmation of the meeting details from the mediator and will share these once they are confirmed.
The parties agreed to meet in good faith to charter a way forward that is beneficial to all.
Designated areas for protests
The designated areas for protests for everyone are as follows:
Wits Education Campus – Outside the Linder Auditorium and cafeteria
Wits Braamfontein Campus – On the Piazza outside the Great Hall
We will keep you updated as the day progresses.
Management reiterates its complete commitment to negotiations
13 October 2016 - Wits University
Update from Senior Executive Team (14:00):
Incidents today
We have just had reports of about 50 – 60 protestors entering the Matrix Student Centre and using fire crackers to alarm and disperse students in the Centre. A cleaner fainted and she is being treated by a doctor in the Campus Health and Wellness Centre.
The protesting students are also breaking concrete dustbins to use them as rocks. The police are on scene managing the situation. They are containing the protest on the Library Lawns.
We have also had reports of stink bombs being used to disrupt lectures in some classes on the Braamfontein Campus this morning. Students and lecturers have moved to the next available venue, where this has occurred.
Management’s engagement with students
We are still waiting for a time for the meeting to take place today. The mediators are consulting with student leaders in this regard and we are hopeful that this can take place soon. It is anticipated that the actual meeting between 20 student leaders and management representatives, facilitated by the independent mediators, will take place in a closed room in Solomon House.
This meeting will be live streamed via streaming.wits.ac.za
Permission has been granted for staff members and students to watch the meeting on a big screen on the Ground Floor of Solomon House this evening. Please note that Solomon House cannot be used during the course of the day because it compromises lectures. We have no issue with another venue or the use of Solomon House after 5pm.
We have repeatedly heard student leaders say that management is not willing to negotiate. This is blatantly untrue.
We are completely committed to negotiations. Our only condition is that the live streaming of the negotiations to a mass meeting cannot take place in Solomon House during lecture hours because this compromises the academic programme. We call on student leaders not to make misleading public statements in this regard.
Again we reiterate: we are completely committed to negotiations.
Issued by Wits, 13 October 2016
