Campuses close as students, police clash
IN SCENES reminiscent of #FeesMustFall protests, police engaged in running battles with students at all university campuses in Durban yesterday as academic activities came to a standstill.
The protests were part of a shutdown planned by students across KwaZuluNatal universities, and also reached Pietermaritzburg campuses.
Their complaints include financial exclusion, student accommodation and a slow registration process.
At UKZN, clashes kicked off early at the Westville campus with a car belonging to the institution being set alight by students.
As the violence began, with protesting students battling the police, students not part of the strike were left traumatised by the scenes they witnessed. One said someone walked into a lecture and told them there would no longer be classes for the day. As the Queensburgh resident left the lecture room and went to his car, he saw students burning a vehicle belonging to the university.
As he approached his car, a crowd started running in his direction and soon tear gas followed.
The first-year student, who was spending his first day on campus, did not know how to react to the chaos.
“It was pure terror… I didn’t know what to do and what to expect. I was caught in the middle,” he said.
He was angry that the university had not communicated to students that classes would be cancelled yesterday.
Other students expressed annoyance at not being able to study, while some said they had made peace with the protests and described them as an annual occurrence.
UKZN’s Howard College campus was also affected, with a vehicle belonging to the institution being burned.
UKZN spokesperson Normah Zondo said the academic programme had been suspended with immediate effect.
“University management has received a memorandum of grievances from the UKZN Student Representative Council (SRC).
“The suspension will allow management space to engage with student leadership and address matters while ensuring the safety and security of all concerned,” she said.
Zondo said the university was still doing an assessment of damage.
UKZN SRC secretary-general Khumza Khumalo said they condemned the burning of the cars and the violence that erupted, and those responsible should be brought to justice. He said, however, that the students’ grievances had not been addressed by the institution.
While UKZN was under siege, Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) was also experiencing violence at its campus in uMlazi.
The Daily News was informed that some of the hundreds of students had caused a disturbance as MUT management tried to address the crowd that had gathered at its sports ground. Police fired tear gas at the students as many ran away, some falling to the ground as the fumes overwhelmed them, while others were carried away by fellow students.
MUT spokesperson Mbali Mkhize said the SRC had requested feedback from management on matters of concern. Yesterday, however, they noted messages circulating online inciting violence, which went against the discussions between MUT management and the SRC.
“There seem to be individuals determined to dissuade the SRC from leading the student body and unwilling to accept the gains made by the SRC in trying to work with executive management to make the registration process seamless and timeless,” the institution said.
Mkhize said the institution had made a number of concessions, including allowing post-graduate students to register irrespective of what they owed, and allowing students with bursaries to register if they owed less than R10000.
“Mangosuthu University of Technology condemns an assault by students affiliated to various political parties on campus,” says Mkhize.
“It is with regret that we learned that two of our students have been hospitalised following an assault this afternoon. We note with disgust the level of political intolerance that has been demonstrated by some elements within our student population.
“We urge our students to resolve their issues through communication.”