STUDENTS PRAY ARSON WILL STOP

‘They’re destroying our future’

STUDENTS at the University of KwaZuluNatal’s Pietermaritzburg campus yesterday held a prayer service to help them fight the burning of the institution’s facilities after their peers were rescued from a fire.

This follows the mysterious burning of a TV room in the William O’Brien residence yesterday as the #FeesMustFall campaign continues. No student was injured.

Nomzamo Khanyile, a student at the residence, said they were in their rooms when the incident happened.

“We heard other students screaming. We saw smoke from the TV room. We then rushed out using the back door.”

She said they no longer felt safe after the incident.

Thousands of students prayed to God to guide them and help fight the scourge of burning buildings during protests.

Students Representative Council (SRC) president Siphelele Nguse said what was happening on the campus was not on their agenda as students.

“We’re really against the burning of buildings and we ask God to guide and assist us to stop the evil deed if those perpetrators are among us.

“We know that it might be some of the students with us doing this and we’re praying to God to help them refrain from destroying our future because we’re going to need those facilities after the protest.”

The incident, which took place at about 7am, follows the torching of an examination hall, allegedly by protesting students, three weeks ago.

Last Thursday, violence erupted in and outside the campus with students burning furniture from the Malherbe residence while trying to stop police officers from arresting them.

Furious students entered the residence and took out couches, fridges and beds and burnt them at the campus entrance.

Last Thursday’s incident saw many students being shot with rubber bullets, arrested and some hospitalised after disrupting the academic programme.

Classes resumed last Wednesday after all UKZN campuses in Durban and Pietermaritzburg were shut down but there have been on-and-off protests for several weeks as students demand free education and improved living conditions.

The university was forced to suspend all academic programmes and bring forward its spring break two weeks ago after violent protests erupted at its Howard College in Westville, Edgewood in Clerwood and Pietermaritzburg campuses.

Nguse said: “There’s a mob of people coming to our campus since we started protesting and they’re encouraging students to do bad things I cannot mention [their names] to the media. We’re really worried about those people because this protest is for students.”

He said the prayer was also for God to protect them from police during protests.

UKZN spokeswoman Sejal Desai said the institution was investigating the torching of the residence.

uMgungundlovu police spokeswoman Captain Khosi Khonjelwa confirmed the incident. No arrests have been made.