As a counter-attack, Rhodes students added their voices to the fray in protest against the ongoing dispute between the university’s management and staff who are members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) on Friday.
As a counter-attack, Rhodes students added their voices to the fray in protest against the ongoing dispute between the university’s management and staff who are members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) on Friday.
Since the commencement of the Nehawu strike, services such as catering and cleaning have fallen by the wayside and students say they have had enough. More than 200 students gathered at Eden Grove, holding colourful posters stating:"No more Nik Naks for supper" and "No food = no study." Kanya Njoli, one of the students says,"I’m hungry and we are paying too much money for university fees." Musa Mpofana also complained, saying," they are serving us food for anorexics."
While addressing the students, SRC president Kholosa Loni urged the students not to regard the protest as an opportunity to create more disruptions as it first and foremost a plea to the management and the dissatisfied union to resolve the issues. She also told them to remain at Eden Grove and not to march to the administration block where the Nehawu strike is still ongoing. "We are not against management or Nehawu but we just need them to solve their issues," says Thapelo Tselapedi, the vice-president of the SRC. But the students kept expressing their dissatisfaction and disagreed with her, insisting that they should also protest outside the administration block, all the while continuing to sing,"Senzeni na?" (What have we done wrong?) The police predicted some unrest and started preparing to control the situation in case it got out of hand.
The secretary of the Young Communist Party, Siyabonga Yonzi, encouraged them to proceed to the administration block which they did, while being escorted by the police, who were strongly advising them not to cause chaos. The students duly joined the striking Nehawu members outside the administration building. Yonzi also addressed the management and Nehawu telling them that," the management and the union should solve their problems between now and now." Kholosa also added that "a workable and speedy solution has to reached by both parties as soon as possible." Sizwe Mabizela, the Rhodes deputy vice-chancellor of academic and student affairs, says that he doesn’t see anything wrong with what the students are doing because they are also fighting for their rights.
