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Back to class at Mangosuthu Tech

Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

Lectures resumed at the Mangosuthu University of Technology in Umlazi, south of Durban, after last week's clashes between rival student movements aligned to the ANC and IFP.

The clashes between the SA Students Congress, sympathetic to the ANC, and the pro-IFP SA Democratic Students Movement were allegedly triggered off by differences over a protest about lack of student accommodation, unroadworthy buses and a 10 percent increase in fees.

The Students Representative Council president and Sadesmo representative Ntokozo Zwane said they were not part of the strike, which ended yesterday.

He said they were actually happy that the protest had ended and lectures could get under way.

But Sasco's Nhlakanipho Sibisi said the decision to end the protests would come from a meeting they were to hold later yesterday with the university's administrator Professor Jonathan Jansen. Sibisi promised that Sasco would continue with the protest if they could not reach an agreement with Jansen.

Sibisi accused the SRC of misleading students by claiming that the fee increase had not been implemented. He claimed the increase is allegedly reflected in the student's fee statements.

"The management and the SRC insist that the fee increment has not been implemented, but we know for a fact that fees have been increased, and it is reflected in fee statements," he said.

Sibisi further dismissed claims by Sadesmo that they were using student issues to highlight their objection to the suspension of vice-chancellor Professor Aaron Ndlovu.

"Sasco wrote a letter to Jansen welcoming him as our new administrator. We will never defend Ndlovu. Should he be found guilty on any wrongdoing, we will support any decision taken against him," said Sibisi.

He accused Sadesmo of refusing them the right to protest.

Zwane was, however, adamant that the increment was only a proposal and was open for negotiations.

"We have since abandoned the proposed 10 percent," he said.

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