Shots fired near protesters
THE Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, came to a standstill when shots were fired after an attempted hijacking while students were protesting at its South campus.
The protest followed the attack on two students in a computer lab at the Second Avenue campus on Monday night. A man allegedly raped one of the students and stabbed another with scissors.
The attempted hijacking had taken place in the suburb of Central but the four suspects drove to the campus 12km away. Shots were fired from the vehicle close to where the students were protesting.
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said four men in a Ford Ranger vehicle were arrested on the N2.
They are being detained at Humewood Police Station.
“An incident occurred of an attempted hijacking in Central. Men were seen in a Ford Ranger, the vehicle then went into the South Campus at NMMU where student protest action was taking place,” she said.
“The vehicle forced its way on to the campus, passed the boom gates and made a U-turn. As the vehicle was leaving, shots were fired at an eNCA freelance cameraman who was covering the protest action.”
Naidu said the police’s K9 unit, Humewood Crime Prevention Unit and metro police gave chase and arrested the four.
Naidu said a firearm was recovered.
The suspects are facing charges of pointing a firearm, attempted murder, and discharging of a firearm.
“This had nothing to do with the student protest at the university. It was an isolated incident,” she said.
Soon after the commotion, the protesting students dispersed pending feedback from university management.
The SA Students Congress demanded that NMU’s head of security Derek Heubsch, be sacked. This after a 25-year-old and her friend were attacked.
One of them had posted a desperate message for help on Facebook. Following her apeal for help, social media was abuzz with pictures of the alleged perpetrator being circulated online.
Students have demanded that security at all campuses be beefed up immediately.
The university said it was unable to open its doors due to ongoing student unhappiness.
“While the university has addressed all immediate security issues, negotiation with the aggrieved students is continuing. Additional measures are also being put in place to ensure the earliest resumption of operations.”
NMU said that its North, South and Missionvale campus entrances were inaccessible, and staff were requested to contact their line managers regarding alternative work arrangements in the interim.