The Sol Plaatjie University says students have embarked upon protest action yesterday morning, against the new, outsourced catering model which came into effect on 15 April 2024. Kashini Maistry: Acting Director: Institutional Advancement says the protest which began peacefully, became violent and the South African Police Service had to intervene. Maistry says the roll - out of the fully outsourced catering model followed two years of planning and internal consultations, which included successive SRCs, after which the Council of Sol Plaatje University, in November 2023, approved the move to a fully outsourced catering model by April 2024.  Maistry says that the SRC who led yesterday’s protest, petitioned the University Council on 26 April 2024 to reconsider the transition to a fully outsourced catering model.  They proposed that the University subsidizes two meals for residence students who are receiving a monthly allowance which would allow them to have three meals a day at the cafeteria. They also requested that the University fully assists unfunded residence students with three meals a day at the cafeteria.

Journalist: Rene Julies
Email: rckjulies@gmail.com