Cape Town – The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has warned students against returning to campus after social media posts called for them to return and occupy residences.
The university said at the weekend that it was concerned about a “16June Movement” that called for students to return to campuses and residences tomorrow.
One of the posts stated that the students were unable to study at their homes due to limited facilities, study material, network issues and a lack of data.
UKZN said it was obliged to comply with the regulations for higher education institutions under lockdown level 3.
“Anyone who is not personally sanctioned to re-enter the university will undermine all our efforts to ensure that the UKZN community in its entirety is safe, as well as our efforts to prepare our campuses for eventual reopening when conditions permit,” the university said.
UKZN said it was finalising the list of who would be eligible to return under lockdown level 3.
Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande said only 33% of students would be allowed to return.
According to the university, final-year undergraduate students enrolled in laboratory-based programmes who were on track to complete their qualifications in the current academic year would be allowed back.
Others allowed to come back included students in clinical programmes, students with disabilities, limited numbers of postgraduate students who required access to laboratory equipment for their studies and SRC executives.
Student residence assistants, student life officers, and residence assistant officers and students appointed as laboratory demonstrators would be eligible to return to campus.
The university said students who arrived on campus without university authorisation would be turned away.
Student Representative Council secretary Mnqobi Msezane said it had distanced itself from the comments made on social media.
“We can’t just decide to do our own thing. We have to make decisions as academics,” said Msezane.