The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Council has resolved to unconditionally withdraw its draft 2027 Financial Recovery Plan (FRP), bringing an end to a contentious proposal that had triggered weeks of student protests, campus disruptions and a wider dispute over the university’s financial management.
The decision was taken during a special Council meeting over the weekend.
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CPUT subsequently confirmed that the draft plan, which had previously been withdrawn for further consultation, would now be withdrawn without conditions.
The latest decision marks a significant shift from Council’s earlier position in August, when it withdrew the plan to allow for further explanation and consultation with stakeholders, including student representatives.
Disputed R7 000 registration payment
At the centre of the dispute was a proposed minimum upfront payment for students registering for the 2027 academic year.
The draft recovery plan was intended to help CPUT address its substantial student debt, which stood at approximately R4.2 billion in May 2026.
The proposal included an upfront payment that could reach R7 000, particularly for students requiring university accommodation.
The proposal was met with strong opposition from student leaders, who questioned both the affordability of the payment and the process through which the plan had been developed.
According to the SABC News, CPUT’s Central Student Representative Council (SRC) also raised concerns about transparency and consultation. SRC president Liyabulela Gela questioned how the R7 000 figure had been determined and argued that students had not been adequately involved in decisions concerning the university’s financial recovery strategy.
The draft plan was also expected to tighten the university’s approach to outstanding student debt, including changes to arrangements that had allowed some students to register while acknowledging their debt.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley confirmed that the latest withdrawal was a decision of Council rather than university management.
“The CPUT Council has sat for a special meeting on Saturday, which lasted for many hours,” Kansley said, according to SABC News.
She confirmed that one of the key outcomes was the withdrawal of the Financial Recovery Plan and emphasised that the decision had been taken by Council.
For students, the decision means that the controversial draft recovery plan will not proceed in its current form as the mechanism for 2027 registration.
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Focus now turns to reopening and recovery
The withdrawal of the financial recovery plan is likely to ease one of the principal sources of tension between CPUT management and its students.
However, the university still faces the immediate challenge of restoring normal academic operations following the disruption.
According to SABC News, Kansley said an academic catch-up plan was still being developed and would be communicated once a decision had been reached.
The university must also address damage to infrastructure, rebuild trust with student representatives and develop a sustainable strategy for managing its substantial student debt.
For CPUT students, the latest Council decision represents a victory on one of their central demands.
For the university, however, the withdrawal is only the beginning of a more difficult conversation: how to restore financial stability while ensuring that affordability and access to higher education are not compromised.
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Featured image: X/@centralnewsza
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