Members of Rhodes University's Black Student Movement have threatened to occupy the main administration building unless a R3 900 residence vacation fee is waived for those remaining in Grahamstown.
Members of Rhodes University's Black Student Movement have threatened to occupy the main administration building unless a R3 900 residence vacation fee is waived for those remaining in Grahamstown.
They have demanded a response by 5pm today to a memorandum delivered to officials on Tuesday 24 March.
The group of around 50 students read out the document before handing it over to Registrar Dr Steven Fourie.
In it, the students said they could not afford the residence vacation fee.
They asked the University to accommodate the students and help them cover their food costs.
“The price you are charging is exorbitant. It is daylight robbery,” said one member.
Following a short discussion with Fourie, the students left the building singing the Struggle song, “Senzeni Na?” (What have we done?) Fourie addressed a subsequent meeting outside the University's main administration building.
“We are happy to have a good look at whoever you propose needs assistance,” said Fourie.
He asked the group to submit the names of those identified as needing accommodation and promised the university would respond on a case by case basis.
However the group insisted the document represented their demands and asked for a public response by 5pm today, Wednesday 25 March.
“You get your house in order, we will get out house in order and meet tomorrow at 5pm tomorrow [Wednesday],” said member Hussain Badat.
Organisation members said they would occupy the University's main administration building unless their demands were met.
In recent weeks there have been discussions on social media about the high expense of staying in residence during the University holidays.
This, coupled with the expense of bus or plane tickets home, had left many student with impossible choices.
Campus Protection Unit guards first barred the group from the administration building; however, they eventually entered and delivered the document to Fourie.
