A protest by members of the Rhodes Black Students Movement (BSM) delayed the official opening of the Highway Africa conference at Eden Grove for more than an hour last Sunday.
A protest by members of the Rhodes Black Students Movement (BSM) delayed the official opening of the Highway Africa conference at Eden Grove for more than an hour last Sunday.
With many of the conference's 450 international delegates assembled to hear the welcome address by Rhodes University vice-chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela, the students took advantage of the opportunity to air their grievances to a wider audience, and challenge Mabizela directly.
Earlier last week members of the BSM occupied the University's administration offices, staging an overnight sleep-in protest. Their protest followed a notice issued to students requiring them to vacate their rooms during the 10-day holiday.
Students said it was too costly for those from out of town to travel home for such a short period and too costly to pay extra fees to stay in the residences.
In response, the University asked that students needing assistance during the holiday should apply to the administration office.
Rhodes spokesperson, Catherine Deiner, also said the University had been actively seeking a solution to the holiday accommodation problem for students since earlier this year and that this process was continuing.
There was praise among Highway Africa delegates after Sunday's protest – both for the way the conference and University officials handled it and for the students themselves for speaking out.
Highway Africa Director, Chris Kabwato, responded to the situation by opening the floor to the students and allowing them to talk directly to the audience.
Speaking about the incident afterwards, Kabwato said, “When the interruption happened, I thought that the best way was to engage with the students, and give them a platform to speak, rather than use any form of removal.
"I think that the students wanted to be heard."
Kabwato confirmed that delegates had expressed appreciation for the way the situation was handled. While Grocott's Mail was unable to get a formal statement from the BSM, one of the hand-drawn placards held up by student st the protest read, 'He called the police and their dogs for unarmed innocent students. #Apartheid 2015'.
It referred to an incident on Friday 28 August in which BSM members were locked out of the venue where a University Senate meeting was being held.
The meeting was moved from its usual location in the Rhodes University Council Chambers to the Gavin Relly Postgraduate Village near the Settlers Monument. Police units, including the dog unit, were present outside the gates of the Village.
In a statement released after the event, Deiner said this was because the University's own security, the Campus Protection Unit (CPU), do not have jurisdiction in this area.
However, after lifting the gate off its rails, BSM members entered the Senate meeting which was adjourned.
A statement then released by the organisation read, “Members of BSM were adamant on addressing Senate, and for a short period, refused to let Senate members leave the meeting".
They continue, “Many members of Senate, including the Chair, smirked at the issues raised by students. One member of Senate threw water into the face of a young female BSM member.
"When she asked him why he disrespected her in this way, he arrogantly blew her a kiss.”
In response, a statement release by Rhodes University said, “Many staff members felt disrespected and threatened by the students who were singing, toyi-toyiing and jumping on the table and filming without permission.
"We note with great concern that a staff member behaved in a manner which is unacceptable by throwing water at one of our students. This does not in any way represent what we stand for as a community.”
Speaking about the move to lock the students out of the premises, Deiner said in a statement, “The gates at the GRPGV were closed in order that Senate could proceed without disruption as there were urgent items for discussion on the agenda including a discussion with regards to a long-term solution for the vacation accommodation.
"The BSM had not been invited to the Senate meeting as SRC members represent students at these meetings.”
