Police disperse graduation protest

Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse about one hundred protesters outside Rhodes University's graduation ceremony for master's and doctoral students in Makhanda on Friday, two October. Thirteen students were arrested.

Protest defied court order

The protest came two days after the high court granted Rhodes University an interdict against continued protests. The campus had been rocked on Tuesday and Wednesday by demonstrations against the university's new fee payment protocol.

What the new protocol requires

Under the protocol, students who owe money cannot see their results and will only be told whether they qualify for supplementary or aegrotat exams. Graduates who owe money can attend graduation but won't get their degree certificate until debt is paid.

Residence ban for high debt

Apart from students with confirmed NSFAS funding, no student who still owes more than twenty five thousand rand after the upfront payment will be allowed into residence. Students who fall behind on payment plans will be handed over to a debt collection agency.

University's debt crisis

In two thousand twenty-four, Rhodes University said students owed three hundred twenty-one million rand. Its audited results for two thousand twenty-three show the amount set aside for student debt it did not expect to recover rose from twenty-four million rand in two thousand twenty-two to ninety-one million rand.

Students' demands and proposals

Students want a stop to withholding of July and November results needed for job or further study applications, and for transcripts to be provided regardless of debt. The SRC proposed a sliding scale for repayment: students owing less than ten thousand rand would pay fifty percent upfront, those owing ten thousand to forty-nine thousand ninety-nine would pay forty percent, and those owing fifty thousand or more would pay thirty percent.

Student fears about postgraduate study

One student who relied on NSFAS as an undergraduate said she feared her debt would keep her out of postgraduate study. She said students should be allowed to finish their studies and find work before they have to pay.

“Allow me to finish studying. After finishing, release my results so I can go find work.”

Court order and next steps

Judge Motilal Sunil Rugunanan granted an interim interdict against SRC president Thalethu Magidela and others, barring them from participating in, encouraging, facilitating or promoting unlawful activities on campus. The matter returns to court on twenty-seven October. A further meeting between university leaders and the SRC is planned for next week, after which recommendations will be made to the university council.