Medunsa students back in class

Johannesburg - Students at the Medical University of SA (Medunsa) in Ga-Rankuwa are back in class following weeks of striking, the university said on Wednesday.

"The students are back in class now, they went back yesterday [Tuesday]," university spokesperson Kgalema Mohuba said.

He said the university's student leadership and management officials appeared before the parliamentary portfolio committee on higher education last Wednesday to provide an update on the situation at the campus.

The matter had since been resolved, Mohuba said.

The institution was closed on 6 August after students had been boycotting lectures for about two weeks. They demanded the removal of certain lecturers alleged to be failing students.

The students were also believed to be unhappy about renaming the campus Sefako Makgatho.

Agreement reached

A car and the university's main gate were reportedly set alight. Management said the decision to close the campus was informed by the stubborn behaviour of both the student representative council and the student body.

It was re-opened the following day after university management and student representatives reached an agreement, ending the boycott.

"The president of the SRC agreed to write and distribute a communiqué indicating that students would cease protests, stop vandalising the school's property and stop harassing our staff members," Mohuba said at the time.

Students resumed the boycott after members of the SRC were arrested.

On 23 August, five students were arrested and charged with malicious damage to property. They appeared in the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court last Monday.

Beeld named them as SRC president Malose Marakalala, Tshepo Lerumo, King Maswanganyi, Sydney Magagula, and Mluleki Maphumulo.

They were granted free bail and would appear in court again on 23 September, Captain Rheineth Motlana said.