UNIVERSITY of the Witwatersrand academic staff have broken rank and aligned themselves with students by echoing their demands, calling for an end to violent tactics and will stage a protest at the Great Hall on Friday.
The Academic Staff Association of Wits University set out six demands in a statement late on Thursday — including increased public funding for higher education, more effort in the transformation and decolonisation of higher education — and called for the removal of security forces, private or police, from campus.
The association, which said it represented more than 200 Wits academic staff, said the academics also wanted the cessation of all violent tactics, genuine dialogue between university management and students, the resumption of academic activities as soon as possible, and a national day of action attending to the crisis in higher education and inadequate government funding.
Media studies lecturer and association representative Mehita Iqani said the academics had met at a mass meeting on Wednesday at which the problems in higher education were discussed.
"We believe that, despite what is happening around campuses, the problems are structural — with higher education underfunding being the main cause," she said.
University spokeswoman Shirona Patel could not be reached for comment about its controversial decision to poll staff and students about whether or not the academic programme should go ahead.
It is understood a private auditing firm will vet the poll.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said on Thursday that President Jacob Zuma has instructed his justice and crime prevention ministries to deal with the violence during student protests over tuition fees at universities.
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