“We’ll be discussing the way forward regarding #WitsShutDown,” the president of the Student Representative Council (SRC), Aphiwe Mnyamana, announced on his Twitter page yesterday.
Wits University has subsequently removed all private security from campus as the student protest enters its second week.
The SRC has requested that the suspension of the students, including its president, be lifted; however, the university administration has refused to accede to this request.
Shirona Patel, a spokesperson for Wits University, refuted assertions made that the suspensions were carried out with the intention of intimidating the students, saying that the individuals were facing severe charges and the university’s disciplinary procedures had to run their course.
The SRC awaits direction from its attorneys on the mediation process, the protests have since been put on hold until further notice, according to member of the SRC executive Karabo Matloga.