South African student protesters demand university shutdown
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Oct 11, 2016
Universities suspended classes this week after clashes in which police fired stun grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing students.
"The government has let us down".
Students had‚ in defiance of tough protest conditions laid down by the university at the weekend‚ disrupted classes on Monday morning.
"The protests are continuing because students' demands have not been met".
The rallies have resulted to a week-long shutdown of some campuses in the country.
Students claim the institution is refusing to make concessions and just demanding that the academic programme resume. All staff and students are also required to carry access cards on them.
Pambo said students who had participated in the protest had received great legal support, with none of them having to sleep inside a prison. The university said three people had been arrested in Braamfontein while two were arrested on campus earlier.
It was meant to be the universities general meeting called by Vice-chancellor Adam Habib, however, he did not turn up for the meeting, which left a sour taste in the mouths of student leaders.
"The dean of students invited 20 student representatives to meet with management today, but the students did not take the offer".
"We are open to the idea of an imbizo, provided that it is a two-way engagement, chaired by a neutral facilitator, with a specific time frame, and not in front of cameras". However, this can not be brought about through threats. "Our concern in this regard is that it may create unnecessary tension between students themselves and other stakeholders, raising security risks and serving as a symbol of disunity of the university", the statement read. "But they have been giving me a run around", she said. Africa's most industrialised economy is already contending with a skills shortage and a 27 percent unemployment rate.
The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg said it was re-opening Monday after being shut because of campus unrest. He said there was no need for a national state of emergency. He also indicated that police would be brought back on Wits main campus going into the week.
Some other universities have closed due to the protests.
By midday students clashed with private security guards and police. Police said last week that there had been at least 327 arrests since February in relation to acts of violence, intimidation and destruction of property related to the #FeesMustFall campaign.
