ANC CONDEMNS ARSON ATTACKS ON CPUT 

20 September 2017

The African National Congress (ANC) condemns in the harshest possible terms the torching of several buildings at the Cape Town University of Technology’s (CPUT) campuses in Bellville and Mowbray, Cape Town. These criminal acts must be punished using the full might of our law enforcement system as they can never be a justification for any grievance anyone may have had.

In 2016, the Department of Higher Education and Training estimated the cost of damage to universities as a result of protests at approximately R459 million. This is money that would be most optimally used to fund the shortages and challenges in our higher education system rather than addressing unnecessary damages. Behavior such as burning university buildings is short-sighted and devoid of any appreciation of the dire need faced by students and our institutions of higher education. 

The ANC calls upon any person with information in relation to these unlawful acts to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies to bring the perpetrators to book. University management and the student body at large must close rank to expose and isolate these agent provocateurs should they be within their ranks.

All stakeholders are further called upon to redouble their efforts to find amicable and lasting solutions to disputes and the restoration of the academic programme.

Statement issued by the African National Congress, 20 September 2017