EFF to meet Wits over student wing’s ‘politically insensitive sidelining’

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said it will meet on Monday with the University of the Witwatersrand Council’s executive “to discuss the de-registration of the EFF branch in that institution”.

In a statement‚ the party said: “We have expressed our honest views on the debacle. We will now go and engage the university to understand their version of events which led to what we believe is a disingenuous and politically insensitive sidelining of a democratically elected and duly registered entity.”

BDlive reported on Monday that Wits had stripped the EFF’s student wing of its recognition on campus and disqualified its candidates from contesting student representative council elections‚ following a violent incident‚ allegedly instigated by EFF members‚ in the run-up to the elections.

This‚ BDlive said‚ “would deprive the party of a strategic campaigning platform ahead of the 2016 local government elections and dent its standing in student politics — a fast-changing terrain”.

Vice-chancellor Professor Adam Habib on Sunday said: “That stands for the EFF until they decide to play by the rules of the game. They have not committed themselves to peaceful processes and non-violence and‚ until they do so‚ they will not be recognised.”