Calm restored at CPUT after violent protests over student accommodation
Cape Town - Days after two police officers were wounded, infrastructure damaged and a 20-year-old arrested for public violence following volatility over student accommodation at the District Six Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), officials have confirmed the situation is calm and they have now moved to search for private landlords to fill the gap.
CPUT spokesperson, Lauren Kansley, confirmed on Wednesday that their residency had reached full capacity.
“CPUT-owned residency is now full to capacity. We have worked around the clock to ensure that every physical bed has been taken and we are now liaising with private accommodation and landlords to absorb any funded students who are still seeking assistance and space,” she said.
Kansley said they learnt that a number of students had found private accommodation but were still seeking residency at the university.
“We have encountered issues with students who had already been placed in private accommodation, then returning to campus and queuing because they are hoping that a better space will be available,” she said.
“In the past ten days, CPUT has placed thousands of individuals who arrived at our campuses but not everyone is eligible for a resident space, this is because they stay within a 60km radius of campus, have exceeded their years of study possible for NSFAS funding, or have disciplinary issues, we will not be able to accommodate them.”
Earlier this week, police confirmed that two of their officers were wounded during a clash with riotous students who marched to Parliament to take up their grievances.
Students shared videos of police water canon trucks and apparent rubber bullets and tear gas being dispersed and fired during the mayhem.
During this, one student, aged 20 was arrested for public violence and was due to appear in court.
In a separate incident on Sunday, students clashed with security officials in which chairs and shields were used to try and bring the situation under control.
Fire was set to a portion of the administrative building including windows stoned this week.
Students said they were forced to sleep at the student centre, many of whom had travelled from as far as Gauteng and other provinces.
The chaos came after the university’s Residence and Financial Aid office secured accommodation for 410 people at their District Six campus and had placed students on buses to their respective residency. The number increased to 534 on Monday.