South Africa’s Parliament has criticised the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) for ordering students to vacate university residences within 24 hours as protests over a proposed financial recovery plan continue to disrupt the institution.
The dispute began after CPUT introduced a proposal requiring postgraduate and unfunded students to make an upfront payment of R7,000 covering registration and accommodation.
Following protests, the university suspended the plan and said it would undertake further consultation with affected stakeholders, including student representatives.
Student leaders, however, have rejected the move as insufficient, arguing that the proposal should be withdrawn without conditions.
The dispute escalated after CPUT announced on Tuesday, 18 August, that academic activities would stop immediately and that all university residences had to be vacated by 4pm the following day.
The university has also closed its campuses until further notice following incidents of violence and damage to infrastructure.
University cites safety concerns and mounting financial pressure
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the decision to evacuate students was primarily intended to protect lives and prevent further escalation.
The university said damage linked to the protests had exceeded R1.5 million, including the burning of the Old Education building at the Bellville campus and other attacks on institutional infrastructure.
Kansley said the university wanted to avoid a confrontation during the evacuation process and was allowing students who had the means to return home to do so.
The evacuation order has nevertheless raised concerns because many students live far from Cape Town and have limited financial resources.
Tebogo Letsie, chairperson of Parliament’s higher education committee, said the crisis could have been avoided through broader consultation before the financial plan was introduced.
He condemned the destruction of university property but also questioned the decision to give students such a short period to leave their accommodation.
Sending students home without adequate arrangements, particularly those from other provinces, could expose them to additional risks, Letsie warned.
Students have also pointed to the cost of travelling home.
Fourth-year information and technology student Lwazi Shozi, who is from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, said flights could cost between R1,100 and R1,300 before additional expenses such as transport to the airport and food.
Horticulture student Masixole Mpotulo said he was an unfunded student from the Eastern Cape and could not reasonably arrange to leave within a single day.
CPUT’s student representative council president, Liyabulela Gela, said the university had not provided alternative accommodation or transport for students affected by the order.
The university has defended the need for financial reform, with Kansley saying CPUT’s student debt had reached approximately R2.1 billion.
She described the institution as one of the country’s heavily indebted universities and said some form of financial recovery plan was necessary to address its financial position.
Higher Education Department pushes for urgent talks
The dispute has now drawn direct intervention from Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela.
Manamela has instructed officials from the University Education Branch to work with CPUT and facilitate urgent discussions involving university management, the council and student leadership.
The minister said the immediate objective was to establish the facts, bring the parties together and find a solution that would allow academic activities to resume.
He also acknowledged students’ right to raise concerns about access to higher education and financial barriers.
At the same time, Manamela stressed that the safety of students and university employees could not be compromised.
He called on all parties to demonstrate responsible leadership and resolve the dispute through dialogue rather than confrontation.
The latest developments come after several weeks of tension at CPUT, with students continuing to demand the unconditional withdrawal of the financial recovery plan.
Students were still seen inside the Bellville campus precinct following the evacuation deadline, while police were reportedly present to prevent further disorder.
The dispute now places pressure on the university, student leaders and government to find a resolution that addresses CPUT’s financial difficulties without creating additional barriers for students who are already struggling to finance their studies.