10 February – Rest in peace Prof. Visser
Prof. Roelf Visser, the director of residence affairs and accommodation, died on 31 January from cancer at the age of 55. Perdeby gave a short profile of Prof. Visser as well as his lifetime achievements. He made a huge difference at the University and his death has left a void.
10 February – Tuks student found dead
A 27-year-old UP student was found dead in a veld near a shopping centre in Sunninghill after he had been missing for five days. His car was found in Sandton and no specific details were available surrounding his disappearance and death.
Economic Freedom Fighters launch Tuks branch – 10 March
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Tuks branch was launched earlier this year on Main campus. It was registered as an official political society at UP. EFF Tuks coordinator Ditswhanelo Mokoena said that the party feels that Tuks students are not properly represented. She also said that the main goal of EFF Tuks is to make sure that the needs and struggles of poor and working class students are recognised and addressed.
24 March – NSFAS shortfalls force students to drop out
A number of UP students have been forced to drop out due to the shortage funds from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). NSFAS did not cover the fees of many students in 2013 and as a result many students were not able to register for the 2014 academic year. NSFAS had been their only means to fund their studies.
28 July – Controversial res decision put off for now
UP postponed making a decision on splitting residences. Instead, the proposal to make Olienhout, Inca and Jasmyn exclusively first-year residences, and Boekenhout, Asterhof and Lilium exclusively senior residences has been postponed until further discussion. The university had initially wanted to implement these proposed changes in 2015, but there was opposition from the university’s residences, causing the university to postpone the decision.
4 August – Lecturer found dead in alleged suicide
A UP lecturer died after jumping from the 21st floor of the Humanities Building (HB) on UP’s Main campus. 44-year-old Danny Nortjé- Rossouw was an accounting lecturer at the university.
1 September – Student jumps from Humanities Building
A male student died after jumping from the Humanities Building (HB) on Main campus in an alleged suicide. The suicide came a few weeks after a lecturer had also committed suicide by jumping from the HB. The incident raised concerns over safety and precautionary measures that the university planned on putting in place after the first incident.
8 September – Rasethaba elected SRC president
Mosibudi “Rassie” Rasethaba was elected 2014/2015 SRC president in the annual SRC elections. Rasethaba ran as an independent candidate. A total of 6 140 students voted in this year’s election. AfriForum Youth won six of the 12 SRC seats and Daso, EFF Tuks and Sasco got one seat each.
