Professor Noor Nieftagodien said that Wits University academics will not continue with lectures until an agreement has been reached between all parties in the university community.

Speaking at Wits on Friday‚ Nieftagodien said lecturers could not teach under the current conditions. “We will not teach in condition of securitisation of the university.”

He said academics supported the call for free education because it is not a privilege but a right. Nieftagodien lectures in the history department‚ heads the History Workshop and is the South African research chair in local histories‚ present realities and at Wits. He is also on the board of socioeconomic rights institute Seri.

“Academics have acknowledged the leading role the students have played and we decided over many‚ many months that it is time for academics‚ nationally‚ to make their collective voices heard.”

He said the academics were “deeply concerned” about the decision to postpone the general assembly because they had an agreement with all relevant stakeholders to proceed with it on Friday.

Earlier on Friday‚ the university released a statement saying the general assembly had been postponed.

Wits said in a statement: “We will postpone the general assembly until consensus is reached and the conditions for such an assembly are met. We remain committed to the pledge and the march‚ and should conditions enable this‚ we would be happy to proceed“. – TMG Digital