Update on student protest action on campus

Dear colleagues and students

As you may be aware already, we have been dealing with some disruption to campus access over the first two days of the commencement of lectures in the 2026 academic year. These relate to a march by students that took place on Monday, 16 February 2026 from Sarah Baartman Hall to Bremner Building. I wish to reiterate that any member of the University of Cape Town (UCT) community has a right to embark on legitimate and peaceful protest action on campus. However, should illegal and disruptive action be part of any protest, the university will take action accordingly.

The march by students was organised by the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), and although management was informed late about it, we allowed it to go ahead. The memorandum of demands was handed to management when students arrived at Bremner. The demands relate largely to registration holds for students who have incurred debt over R10 000, the maximum amount allowable for registration as per the policy approved by Council. Although accommodation has been raised by some student quarters, UCT currently has approximately 852 beds still available to registered students. As far as we are concerned, we do not have shortage or crisis of accommodation.

We can confirm that management and the SRC have already assisted almost all students who are considered financially vulnerable, and in good academic standing. These are current NSFAS students, and NSFAS-eligible students with fee debt, since they have been means tested to have a household income below R350 000. We also catered for all missing middle students with a household income between R350 000 and R600 000, who are also eligible for NSFAS loans. We also assisted financially vulnerable students with fee debt but who have secured funding for the 2026 academic year.

The university’s management has engaged extensively with the SRC, and it is our understanding that both parties have shown the resolve to address any issues amicably. This is illustrated through some of the measures currently in place to support students with fee debt. For the 2026 academic year, a total of 2 883 students, including those funded by NSFAS, have benefitted from the university’s fee debt relief measures and have been able to register or will be able to graduate. The SRC also requested management to extend registration to 20 February to accommodate students still raising funds to clear their debt; and this was granted after negotiations with relevant stakeholders.

Nearly all remaining students who continue to have registration holds are those regarded as self-funded students, an estimated total of about 1 400. Nearly 900 of these are postgraduate students, and about 100 are students from the Graduate School of Business. There are about 400 undergraduate students who have a hold on their registration, and some of them continue to make payments. We recognise that some of them may have genuine financial circumstances making fee payment difficult. For these students, we have agreed to review their appeals on a case-by-case basis, and we encourage them to accept study loans and sign an acknowledgement of debt so they can proceed with their studies.

While we uphold the constitutional right to peaceful and legitimate protest, we have noted with concern that there have been disruptive and unlawful action which infringes on the constitutional rights of other staff and students. We wish to make it clear: we will take appropriate action against any acts that go beyond the bounds of legitimate and lawful protest.

In this regard, we wish to remind students that the university has in place an existing interdict to safeguard academic activities against unlawful disruption. Anyone who is found to be in violation of the interdict and who engages in criminal activity will face appropriate action.

We remind members of the UCT community that, among others, the following activities are prohibited during protest action at UCT:

• Any unjustifiable infringement of any of the rights contained in Chapter 2 of the Constitution, including the right to education.
• The disruption of any of UCT’s administrative and academic activities by blocking entrances and exits, disrupting classes, tests, examinations, registrations, graduations, the library, computer laboratories or laboratory activities, in any manner that fully prevents those activities from continuing or that results in permanent curtailment of those activities, may constitute misconduct which may result in disciplinary action.
• Malicious damage to property/vandalism, i.e. damage intentionally caused to UCT facilities or private property.
• Intentionally hindering or obstructing traffic on a public road.
• Wearing a mask or disguise or in any other way obscuring facial features and preventing identification.

With regard to the last point above, we have noted that a number of individuals behind disruptive and unlawful protest action tend to resort to covering their faces. Therefore, CPS officers will engage and identify anyone who perpetrates illegal or disruptive acts while having their face covered.

We also reasonably believe that some external individuals have been part of the recent protest action. We therefore remind all students and staff to always be in possession of their campus ID cards to enable CPS officers to identify any external individuals whenever the need arises.

The UCT executive continues to prioritise support for any academically eligible NSFAS-funded and/or financially vulnerable students who have fee debt. Furthermore, the executive is dedicated to ongoing engagement with the SRC over any issues. But equally important, the executive remains committed to ensuring that action is taken to safeguard the 2026 academic project against unlawful and disruptive activities.

The executive deeply regrets the impact of these unfortunate developments on other students and staff. We appreciate the understanding and patience of the UCT community as we work on attending to these developments as speedily as possible.

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements