Students at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and members of the Shackville TRC have, since March 29, occupied the Bremner administrative building. Yesterday, UCT issued a statement to the occupiers that they should remove themselves or be forcibly removed by a high court interdict. The statement also states that further occupation of the administrative building “will be unlawful”.
The Shackville TRC Facebook page which contains members of the Rhodes Must fall movement has spoken out. They previously occupied the Bremner building in 2015 when they demanded that the Rhodes statue be removed as it showed support of South Africa’s colonial past and was an insult to oppressed black bodies who fought for a post-apartheid South Africa.
The movement has stated that they are fighting against the university’s “systematic exclusion” and financial exclusion that radiates the effects of anti-blackness. The statement made by the movement has a list of three demands with several sub-demands and conditions.
Academic and financial exclusion make the top of the list. The movement demands that no black student should be academically or economically excluded. Sourcing and funding should be found for those academically deserving black students as well as a reallocation of university funds to both tuition fees and residences. The movement has also mentioned that they are willing to engage in political discussions on a way forward with UCT management.
