Campus in revolt after student is shot dead

ANGRY students from the Tshwane University of Technology in Soshanguve say they will march to the local police station every day until the case involving a student who was shot dead is resolved.

A third-year law student was fatally wounded on Thursday night amid allegations of vote-rigging at the SRC elections at North Campus.

Violence broke out and police were called in. The student was apparently a member of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania.

Students accused police of using live ammunition and killing the student.

Yesterday thousands of students had the township on lock-down as they marched to the police station. Traffic was disturbed and roads blocked, while some shops closed.

The police station resembled a war zone when police fired tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse students protesting outside.

Armed police manned the entrance of the gate and a 30-minute stand off between them and students ensued.

Speaking on a loudhailer, police said investigations were still under way with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). But students were having none of it, and they hurled rocks at the officers.

Police retaliated with tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.

Thabiso Sekowane, of the SA Students Congress (Sasco), said police should brace themselves for more marches.

“All the comrades from all the student organisations have agreed that we will make Soshanguve station ungovernable until the policeman that killed our comrade is brought to book. If they want, they can kill us all,” said Sekowane.

But police reiterated that they had nothing to do with the student’s death.

“The police reported that they had fired at the ground with R5 rifles and that when they left no one had been injured but vehicles had been damaged‚” said Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini.