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The University of KwaZulu-Natal‘s five campuses were calm yesterday after protests led to the suspension of all academic activities on Monday until further notice.

University spokesperson Normah Zondo said: “Acts of arson were carried out overnight by protesters on the Pietermaritzburg campus. The university is assessing damage on all campuses. All five campuses are being monitored by University Risk Management Services.”

She said the university was open to engaging with the student leaders and other important stakeholders and that the safety of the institution’s community was important to them, declaring the university to be a “lethal weapon free zone”.

The University of Venda was also shut down recently. Student Representative Council member Zoro Shikwanbana said the protests started at midnight on Wednesday. “No NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) student has received their allowance. The university said they no longer want to pay us through IntelMali, but didn’t explain why. Instead they want to carry out a manual collection of bank statements of NSFAS beneficiaries. This will take a long time and we need our allowances to start class,” said Shikwanbana.

University of Venda’s director of communications Takalani Dzaga said students were demanding payment of outstanding NSFAS allowances from last year, that historic debts be scrapped and no increase in residence fees, among other issues. – Chisom Jenniffer Okoye