“The results of the poll as well as feedback from parents, alumni and other stakeholders will inform management’s decision making. Management will also reach out to the student leadership, unions and other stakeholders to engage on a way forward,” the institution said.

The poll conducted on Thursday showed that 77 percent of respondents wanted lectures to resume, with 23 percent voting against it. The university said there were 21,730 responses to the poll, with 16,739 voting for lectures to resume, while 4991 voted “no”.

The students and staff were asked: “Should Wits open on Monday 3 October subject to appropriate security protocols being in place?”

The process was conducted by an auditing company after the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) indicated it would not assist the university in conducting the poll. Students were sent a text and were asked to respond with either a “yes” or a “no” while staff received an email with instructions on how to log in and vote.

An urgent court bid by Wits student leaders on Wednesday to halt the poll failed. The court ruled against the students and indicated that everyone’s voices needed to be heard.

Earlier, the union representing Wits academics pledged their support for students and called on government to channel more funds into higher education funding. The Academic Staff Association of Wits University (Asawu) called on university management to immediately remove police and private security from Wits campuses.

On the results of the poll, Asawu said although it understood the importance of ensuring that all voices were given a chance to be heard, the poll was, however, “problematic”.

“Firstly, it is not seen as legitimate by protesting students and they maintain no incentive to adhere to its outcome; secondly, acting on this poll is likely to divide the community and could potentially incite violence rather than unite the community around common ground – that university education is underfunded, and thirdly, it distracts from efforts to resolve the current crisis through engaging in meaningful dialogue with the protesting students,” the union said.

The union called for an “ongoing commitment to democratic dialogue” and map a way forward to accessible education for all academically deserving students without derailing the current academic year.

ANA