King intervenes in standoff between protesting students and college management

Protesting students have finally been allowed back into their residences after Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo intervened following clashes with law enforcement.

Tensions ran high at King Sabata Dalindyebo TVET College last week when students protested outside the college’s main campus at Cicirha in Kwadosi village in Mthatha.

The students, who were protesting over delayed NSFAS payments and claims of mismanagement at the college, started protesting on Wednesday and were evicted from the campus.

Five students were said to have been injured and admitted to hospital after police and security guards allegedly shot at protesters with rubber bullets.

However, police said they had received no reports of injuries.

After a three-day impasse, about 200 students marched to the king’s Nkululekweni private residence in Mthatha, appealing for his intervention.

SRC chair Xolisa Cebiso said: “We appeal to you our king to intervene.

“We had been peacefully protesting outside the main gate, not damaging any property, when the management evicted us from our hostels and set police and security on us ... At least five students have been injured.

“We have not eaten or bathed since Wednesday morning and we are freezing.”

The students said there had been no permanent principal at the institution for several years.

Dalindyebo said he had called the college management, education MEC Fundile Gade, community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha and police management in Mthatha.

“We are interested in having learning and teaching restored at the college,” he said.

By the weekend, the students were allowed back into the residences. The Dispatch has made numerous attempts to get comment from college management since Sunday, but there had been no response at time of writing on Monday.

“We have done all that is humanly possible to make management understand our situation,” Cebiso said.

On Friday, the king slaughtered two sheep to help feed the students and on Saturday, he took a cow to the college and it was slaughtered on the premises on Sunday.

He also visited a student who was admitted to the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha after being injured, reportedly during the unrest.

“This is a temporary intervention to solve the current crisis. But I will need to sit down with the college management and student leadership regarding the accusations of mismanagement and the student strike. We need a permanent solution,” Dalindyebo said.

The students alleged there were problems at campuses in Mthatha, Xhorha, Libode, Ngcobo, and Port St Johns.

Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said that on Thursday, at about 7pm, police had responded to a complaint about students barricading the college entrance.

“About 20 males were found pelting security members with stones. When police arrived, stones were also thrown at them.

“Public order policing members fired a stun grenade and when the situation became volatile, rubber bullets were used to disperse them.”

She said there had been no reports of injuries.