Black Academic Caucus statement
Released: 11h45, 9 November 2015

The Black Academic Caucus at UCT (BAC) is heartened by the contribution that various student-worker formations have made this year to transform and decolonise the university.

We continue to stand in solidarity with students and workers, and support them in the ongoing discussions aimed at achieving insourcing and free quality education for those in need. 

We recognise that there is still much more work to do. To that end we, BAC:

1. Encourage the process of consulting different parties and stakeholders that is going on right now.
    
2. Fully support the 0% fee hike for 2016, and the campaign for full free education for students in need.
    
3. Hail the University's commitment to insourcing, and call upon it to speedily insource all present employees with complete benefits.
    
4. Support the examination period, and do not see disruption of the year-end exams as a desirable way forward.
    
5. Invite senior leadership and heads of department to recognise the potential for reconstructing our university that this moment provides. Undue use of force and criminalisation of workers and students cannot further that critical goal. Justice, fairness and due process should guide the senior leadership's actions.
    

Significant progress has been made by the multiple student-worker movements during the past months; while we agree that much more change must come, we do not think that disruption of exams will justly serve students', academics', staff and workers' causes.

BAC will continue to engage with students and workers' movements, and work towards a truly inclusive and transformed UCT.