EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi was denied access to the University of Fort Hare’s Alice campus on Friday, where he was meant to address the EFF student command ahead of SRC elections at the institution.
An address which was supposed to start at midday at the campus’s sports field became a brief appearance on the back of a bakkie outside the town hall at 3.30pm.
Ndlozi said he was at the university gates waiting to enter when he was told there was a positive Covid-19 case on campus and that he could not enter.
However, earlier in the day, DispatchLIVE was granted access to the campus to wait for the rally to begin.
There, hundreds of students waited for Ndlozi to arrive.
Speaking through a mic in the busy Alice CBD, Ndlozi said it was better to postpone the address.
“Let us rearrange so we can speak properly. As young intellects we take students and you people very seriously. Give me a date and time, and I will be there.”
Ndlozi said he would return next week, and called for a hall or relevant platform to be arranged for the address.
EFFSC chair Godfrey Ganya claimed the “kangaroo arrangements” of the address were a result of sabotage by university management.
“The ANC management [allegedly] did not allow proceedings to continue yet the approval was given to the EFFSC to host Commissar Ndlozi.”
Ganya said issues from management had started earlier in the day when they were told to unplug the sound system meant to be used by Ndlozi.
He said when the student command learnt Ndlozi would not be allowed to enter the campus, they made attempts to contact the head of the Covid-19 task team, but the persons phone was turned off.
By 4.45pm, Ndlozi had finished his address in the CBD.
University spokesperson JP Roodt said the EFF student command and rally convener did not follow procedures and protocols, and had failed to make “critical” submissions for the rally to approved.
“The organisers of the rally did not supply a Covid-19 risk mitigation plan, and also failed to supply a security and a disaster risk mitigation plan.
“Based on this, the university’s Covid-19 task team could not approve the event.”
Roodt said despite this the event continued, and the university was “forced to intervene and requested the event to be stopped on the basis of non-compliance to ensure health and safety risks to our students were effectively managed and mitigated”.
Roodt said event organisers and venue owners were legally required to put in place the prescribed measures to ensure safety amid the pandemic.
“If it fails to do so, it is a crime under SA law.”
“The University of Fort Hare respects the constitutional right of our students to convene and hold gatherings.”
Roodt sent DispatchLIVE a screenshot of an e-mail addressed to Ganya, which said the rally had not been approved by the Covid-19 task team.
Roodt said the email announcing the event was declined was sent at 16:10pm on Thursday.
“The original request for the rally to UFH came in at 15:16 on Wednesday from the EFF student command”
The rally had been organised ahead of elections for the new SRC from May 24 to 26.
Ganya said Ndlozi’s attendance was meant to offer words of support to the EFFSC.
“Victory is certain,” Ganya said.
“We are very happy going into these elections as a majority of students have shown their support for the EFFSC. We are a strong leadership that is not deterred; we are a government in waiting.”
Ganya said they were aiming for a “total takeover”, meaning they intended to occupy 10 seats on the SRC.
He said the EFFSC had shown growth and presence, and was leading at the East London campus.
“The EFFSC occupied three seats in 2019. The premier in East London is also from the EFFSC.”
Speaking at the rally, Ganya said the EFFSC was ready to lead with the purpose of bringing needed change.
“We are governance, and will bring stability and peace to the campus,” he said.
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.