Protest violence rocks Pmb

VIOLENT protest action erupted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus yesterday, with the students’ rage peaking after a female student was hit on the arm by what is believed to have been a teargas canister.

As Zinhle Masangwana lay in the road in front of Malherbe residence and cried out in pain, her friend called out in anger.

“She wasn’t even striking,” she yelled.

“It is clear they (the police) don’t know what they are here for…

“How could somebody do this?” another shouted.

According to her friends, Masangwana was in her residence when police stormed the property and started shooting. This could not be confirmed with authorities.

She was taken to an ambulance, but her irate peers continued to engage with police before a horde stormed the main campus, rushing the council chamber.

Police and security guards dispersed the crowds temporarily, but they soon mobilised more students and moved to Golf Road, where police were transporting a group of students who had been arrested.

They tried to block the road, throwing dustbins in the path of police vehicles and stoning them.

A short exchange with police followed but after several rounds of rubber bullets and teargas canisters were fired, the students retreated.

The violence had started at around 6am.

At 9am, after having been trapped inside the Malherbe residence for three hours, a student inside said he feared for his safety. At the time of being interviewed, he said fires started at the entrance earlier had been put out.

Furniture was placed at the entrances of other residences to block them.

By mid-morning, Malherbe residence was still in lockdown.

The students spent several hours in running battles with police, hurling rocks over the fences while the police fired teargas and rubber bullets.

Several students sought higher ground, atop the building, for a better vantage point. Cars, police and at one point, even journalists were among their targets.

A large crowd gathered at the fence before midday and shook it violently, before bringing it down.

By late afternoon, police spokeswoman said they had arrested nine students after they “allegedly became unruly, damaged property and stoned police who were instructing them to disperse”.

They would be charged for public violence and would appear at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court.

UKZN suspended classes and tests on the campus but these were expected to resume today.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the university said claims that live ammunition was used were being investigated.

It also said a protester was injured when he lay down in the road and was hit by a car. He was taken to hospital.

UKZN’s Pietermaritzburg campus has been the scene of much protest action in recent days and weeks.

There was a heavy police presence at Howard College and Westville campuses yesterday but classes went ahead without disruption.