Students from the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) blocked the road to the institution yesterday, demanding that management address their concerns.
Last week they stopped classes. This after the students requested a meeting with university mangement.
UMP replied that they could meet last Monday, but failed to attend.
The dean of students, Dr Paul Maminza, said that management held several meetings with the student representatives last week.
Mamiza said management met with them for three days at different venues.
As stated in a memorandum, their concerns include the removal of the housing director Dr Nomvula Twaise, due to the inability to resolve matters of off-campus student accommodation.
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They are also demanding that the university allow sports players to keep their sports uniforms.
“We managed to address most of their issues, and we explained some of the things to them.
“As management we cannot remove Twaise because we cannot interfere with the HR process. We believe she is doing her job and she was appointed by HR, not management.
They raised 13 concerns and we addressed almost all of them except four, which we were supposed to address on Friday. We did not finish since they were not pleased when we explained that we cannot remove the housing director and we cannot allow the students to keep the sports uniforms, since it has been our tradition to return them after they participate,” he explained.
Wandile Shabangu, Campus Representative Council (CRC) chairman at Mbombela campus and Students’ Representative Council (SRC) treasurer, said that the students took the situation to the next level because they realised that management was not taking them seriously.
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“Our issues have not changed and we still want them to address the things we raised last week. We simply stopped classes and this week we felt that it is time that we move from the level that we were in.
“We have tried several times to speak to them but they are not dealing with our issues,” he explained.
In their memorandum the students also rejected the response by council and demanded that the vice-chancellor be suspended until further notice pending investigation.
Allegations of personnel deliberately failing students and the safety of students at the institution were also highlighted. The appointment of the new director, and allegations against the vice-chancellor, Prof Thoko Mayekiso were also raised.
