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Cape Town – UCT Vice Chancellor Max Price has revealed that a move to remove the Rhodes statue currently present on the campus has been supported by various leadership groups at the university.

In a meeting held with various stakeholders, including the Senior Leadership Group of UCT, the Directors of Institutional Planning and the Transformation Office, Price confirmed the groups supported his call for the statue to be moved from the bottom of Jameson Steps.

“Returning to the progress in the last week, I can report that we have been in discussions with multiple stakeholders on the matter of the statue,” Price said in an email sent to university staff and students on Tuesday.

“I’m now in a position to confirm that the proposal I have earlier made in my personal capacity – that the statue of Rhodes be removed from its current location – has been supported by all these constituencies, and that the SLG will make this proposal to the Senate, which meets this Friday.”

The process, though, still requires more than just support from the university’s leadership in getting the statue removed. The decision needs to be voted on by a special sitting of the university council, and is also complicated by issues surrounding its status as a heritage site, which needs approval from government.

Price, though, praised the university’s growing inclination to engage on matters important in the country, stating:

“UCT is an argumentative university. This is an abiding strength: it shows our engagement with the issues of our times and our interest in ideas that matter. Undoubtedly the students are leading a national debate.” – News24