Limkokwing University took a firm decision on Friday morning and suspend fourteen students, mostly members of the Student Representative Council (SRC) office for leading the strike, which the university said was illegal.
This action nearly raised tensions between the university and the students because, in response, an emergency meeting was held with the student body showing disapproval of the university’s decision to suspend their leaders.
“The meeting was short-lived as the SRC are now afraid of the management,” said a source, a student at the university. “However, the SRC president promised to address us on Monday outside the university campus.”
He expressed doubt that there could be another strike as students had signed an affidavit last month which bound the students to agree not to engage in anymore strikes.
A statement from the university said that the students who are suspended were “suspected of instigating, leading and engaging in the illegal class boycott or strike”.
According to the statement, the suspension is effective from 5th April, 2013 and will run for three weeks to allow management to carry on with investigations.
“A certain group of students led by the SRC blocked both the entrances to the campus causing disharmony, forcing the halting of lectures and normal business or operations, verbally and or physically abusing other students and intimidating university staff,” says the statement.
The university also states that internal investigations were carried out and that led to identification of the suspended students. The statement also assured that measures to ensure the safety of both student and staff have been put in place.
The SRC President, Poloko Pitwane, who is among the suspended said he could not talk about the matter then as it was premature.
He said they were still waiting for legal advice from their lawyer, Friday Leburu of Baoleki Attorneys, to appeal the decision taken by the management.
“We are to find out if this suspension is legal…If we find that it is illegal we will take the university to court,” said Pitwane.
