Cleaning of residences, cleaning of university buildings, catering in student residences, grounds and gardening services, campus protection services and student and staff transport services will now be insourced after the current lease agreements expire.

During a recent protest about student fees, UCT students had also protested about unfair working conditions, pushing for the insourcing of these services.

UCT vice chancellor Max Price and Nehawu chairperson Mzomhle Bixa said in a joint statement on 29 October that the services would be insourced as each of the contracts terminates.

UCT is aware that insourcing will incur significant costs. "The recent wave of student and worker protests at UCT and nationally - for lower fees and for insourcing workers - has emboldened us to commit to finding the money somehow," said Price in a message to students and staff. "Across the institution there now appears to be widespread support for moving away from outsourcing."

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