UKZN open despite protests
ACADEMIC activity will continue as normal at the University of KwaZuluNatal despite protests at the institution yesterday.
UKZN said lectures had not been suspended and would continue today as normal.
Yesterday morning, videos and images surfaced on social media of groups of students with covered faces setting alight property at the university’s Westville campus.
This came after UKZN and the students representative council held meetings to discuss the issues that led to the institution being closed last week. These include wi-fi access at off-campus residences and funding for postgraduate studies.
SRC general secretary Khumza Khumalo said they had been involved in intense negotiations with UKZN’s management for the past few days.
Khumalo said on Tuesday night he heard rumours that certain SRC members had been agitating for a strike yesterday. He said this had confused him as the SRC had already made various agreements with UKZN management, which included the reopening of campuses across the institution.
“Why do you want to be an SRC within an SRC?” Khumalo asked.
He believed that politics played a role in yesterday’s protests with the national elections looming in the next few months.
Khumalo said what he feared most was that students would not be able to resume their academic programme.
Third-year student Shanice Govender said they had not started assessments because of the first strike; another strike would mean half the semester would have been lost.
“Exams are still continuing on the dates they are supposed to,” she said.
The Chatsworth resident said she was disappointed at yesterday’s events as students came to the campus expecting to start their studies.
Another student, who would not be named, said she was in a lecture when they were told to get out of the theatre. She said a man wearing a mask over his face walked into the theatre and started to clap. She said the students knew this was their cue to leave.
She said she understood the reasons for the strike, but felt that some students were taking their protests too far.
UKZN spokesperson Normah Zondo said a student had been injured in the violence.
“University management will not tolerate any criminal behaviour nor the intimidation of staff and students, and have opened a case of public violence. The protesters have dispersed and the campus has stabilised. University Risk Management Services and Public Order Policing are monitoring the situation,” she said.
She added that some university property had been damaged during the protests.