Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is extending its 2026 academic year until 14 December, after weeks of disruption caused by student protests that brought teaching to a halt.
The university’s second semester officially ended on Friday, after lectures were suspended on 18 August.
Students were given 24 hours to leave university residences, while classes were paused until the campus was considered safe.
Now, CPUT Senate has confirmed that students will return on 14 September, with the academic calendar pushed out to 14 December to make up for the teaching time lost during the shutdown.
The university has also made changes around student finances. CPUT has agreed to withdraw its proposed Financial Recovery Plan, which would have required non-NSFAS-funded students to pay up to R7,000 to register for the new academic year.
Students living in residences where fees exceed the NSFAS accommodation allowance will also be allowed to graduate without settling those outstanding bills.
The changes come as CPUT faces about R2.1 billion in student debt. Meanwhile, the Student Representative Council has called for investigations into alleged university mismanagement, claims CPUT has rejected.