Students evicted after protest

UMFOLOZI TVET College’s Eshowe campus evicted its students after what was intended to be a peaceful protest got out of hand, leaving an office and five college vehicles damaged.

College spokesperson Bhekani Ndlovu said they were shocked to find the institution’s TVET Media Information Systems office gutted.

“The office was totally burnt, but the computers were not burnt. Fortunately, we still have the data. Five vehicles were vandalised with the truck badly burnt. The cars had windows smashed and tyres damaged,” said Ndlovu.

He alleged that a petrol bomb was used to torch the facilities at about 4am.

Students were protesting about the alleged lack of maintenance of facilities and that certificates had not been handed out as they were supposed to be.

Police spokesperson Thembeka Mbele said about 500 students embarked on the protest.

“A case of malicious damage to property was opened. Eshowe police and Public Order Police are in the area, monitoring the situation. No arrests have been made and no injuries were reported,” she said.

Ndlovu said the protest was not led by the incumbent students representative council.

“We understand the aggrieved students intended to submit a memorandum but we do not know how that was going to happen under these circumstances,” he said.

The South African Democratic Students Movement (Sadesmo) president on the campus, Mdumiseni Dube, said the protest was supposed to be a peaceful one.

He said that trouble started when security officers beat up a student. This could not be confirmed.

“We have been writing memorandum after memorandum but got no response. The concerns about unmaintained hostel buildings and not receiving certificates date as far back as 2009.”

Engineering student Mpilo Ndimande said they should have been refunded money.

“Last year we were told that we had to pay R1 000 for accommodation. We then found out that NSFAS is funding us so we had to be refunded… This did not happen,” said Ndimande.

Ndlovu said management opted to evict everyone because of their disruptive action on campus.