Eviction of Zululand students challenged
DURBAN: The University of Zululand’s notice on Tuesday, ordering students to vacate their residences within two hours, could be illegal.
The Legal Resources Centre’s Anneline Turpin said the university could not give students two hours to leave without a court order.
“This is unlawful. It can reasonably be inferred that the reason most of the students reside at the residence is because their homes or families are distant from the institution,” she said.
A student leader who spoke to the Cape Times sister paper The Mercury anonymously, said students did not believe the university had a court order to remove the students. “It is not that they did not produce the court order to us, they do not have it.”
The university’s spokesperson, Gcinekile Nhleko justified the eviction’s short notice by saying the situation had reached a crisis level. “All students left, except for international students who were organised a place to stay, including students living with disabilities,” said Nhleko.
“Students vandalised university assets, such as a security park-home, dining hall curtains, a parked truck. Eight of them were arrested for public violence.”
The students said they had not been attending classes because of their involvement in a strike by the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), which is in its third week. The students insisted, however, that no lives had been threatened or property destroyed. According to them, the police intervened and dispersed their gathering.
Police spokesperson Thulani Zwane confirmed that eight students were arrested. Once charged, they would appear in the Mtunzini Magistrate’s Court.
Pleading for the students, the leader said: “These are underprivileged students, and this situation renders them vulnerable.” Other leaders echoed this, saying ANC councillors were asked to help.
Nehawu said in a press release that its branch at the university would hold a briefing tomorrow to “shed light on the circumstances that have led to the strike actions”.