Give us another space, says RMF

The Rhodes Must Fall (RMF) movement wants the university to provide a space where it can continue the programme it started during its occupation of Bremner ('Azania House') after the movement ended the occupation this week.

This is one of three demands the movement wants UCT Council to consider at an upcoming meeting.

The group who, together with the SRC, led the charge to have the statue of Cecil John Rhodes removed from upper campus, wants the university to "not instigate any internal and/or external disciplinary action" against its members and remove from campus all symbols they consider "imperialist, patriarchal and colonial".

The RMF wants Council to decide on these matters at its meeting on Wednesday 15 April. "We want written proof of Council's commitment to these demands by the end of their meeting on Wednesday as well as a commitment to their implementation," said Duduzile Ndlovu, RMF spokesperson at a press conference on Jammie Plaza on 13 April.

Gerda Kruger, executive director of communication and marketing at UCT, assured the movement that no legal steps would be taken against members who occupied Bremner over the weekend, and that, with the end of the occupation, there would be no need for an eviction order.

"The university will pursue disciplinary action in cases where we believe the legitimate boundaries of protest action were exceeded, but we remain open to receiving proposals on how to resolve these matters," she added.

Story by Abigail Calata. Photo by Michael Hammond.