29 August 2012
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Linda Jabane District (Greater Johannesburg) is concerned by the failure of management of Wits University to resolve the on-going wage dispute with its workers.
While we are not necessarily surprised by the reactionionary stance of this management, however we would have hoped that the downing of tools twice this year by the academic staff (possibly for the first time in the history of the university, over wages) constitutes a crisis and would thus be treated with the urgency it deserves.
The fact that the university declared a budget surplus of more than R100 million but blatantly and arrogantly refuses to pay its workers a living wage is scandalous. Even worse, while the university has become a profit making institution, students are asked to make upfront payment for registration of up to R8000. We want to remind the management of Wits University that this public and "autonomous" institution belongs to the people of Greater Johannesburg and the country at large, not a few elite from the leafy northern suburbs. It is precisely this neo-liberal hegemony that has always sought to exclude students from poor working class communities which is now hell-bent to undermine and marginalise the workers.
This management has demonstrated that it has the ability to act if it wants to as portrayed by its public actions on the Dalai Lama visa saga and more recently on the unfortunate incident of Marikana. We would have hoped that this management will use the same rigour and enthusiasm in handling the issue that affects its workers and its ("customers") students. Instead this matter has been allowed to fester and has clearly spiralled out of control while its Vice Chancellor is globetrotting.
We are equally concerned at the absence of leadership of both the University Council led by Mr Saki Macozoma and the University Senate. Or are these structures toothless and bypassed by the arrogant management? In the context of this vacuum we therefore support the overtures by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Blade Nzimande to directly intervene in the affairs of universities. We will lobby the Minister to intervene on the Wits matter urgently.
We are also worried by the silence of the Council of Higher Education on this matter. In this regard, we will lobby both the City of Johannesburg and the Gauteng Provincial Government, in particular the Mayor and MEC of Education, as critical stakeholders, to intervene and provide leadership on this matter.
We call upon the current Vice Chancellor, Prof Loyiso Nongxa to act decisively to save whatever is left of his reputation before his contract expires in six months’ time. After all it is during his fateful tenure that Wits has witnessed one of the most violent student protests. Students have been pushed to the edge to an extent that some have held staff hostage while others have attempted suicide. Now that academics are boycotting university meetings and cancelling lectures, we wonder what is next! In our view, Prof Nongxa has been a colossal failure, is badly advised and has run this university like a Bantustan leader out of touch with reality.
We call upon the community of Greater Johannesburg to join and support the Wits workers in their demand for a living wage. As the District we will engage the Progressive Youth Alliance structures (ANCYL, YCL, SASCO and COSAS) inside and outside the campus with the view to mobilise their support for these workers.
The SACP in Greater Johannesburg is fully behind the workers and students in their demand for a living wage and free access to higher education respectively.
Issued by SACP Linda Jabane District
For more information contact: Afrika Masoa (District Chairperson), 071 918 5114
Enquiries:
Lebo Zulu (Head of Organising Admin and Communications), 076 377 0267
Or, 011 333 2050, sacp.lindajabane@gmail.com