POLICE fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse about a thousand protesting students at the Bellville campus of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) yesterday.
The students had converged at the administration building, demanding to speak to management.
And at the institution's Cape Town campus, a vehicle belonging to a private security company was set alight.
At both campuses police and a private security company formed a human chain to prevent the students from entering the building before police dispersed them.
One of the CPUT protesters, Mike Johnson, 24, said students demanding to speak to management had protested outside the administration building.
“We want to know what is the way forward because the academic year has almost ended. We have a right to know the university's plans,” he said.
He said students had protested peacefully until police started intimidating them.
“Police have no business in the day-to-day running of the university. The university should not allow them on campus,” he said.
CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said the situation was being monitored.
She said students had protested “despite a directive that all classes should commence”.
Kansley said that before the clash with police and private security personnel, student leaders had been allowed into the administration building to meet with the vice-chancellor – “but shortly thereafter the gathering started stoning private security”.
She said the CPUT’s management had met yesterday to discuss the way forward.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch University spokesperson Martin Viljoen said the academic programme had continued with “no disruptions” yesterday.
He said arrangements had been made for staff to electronically record lectures that had been postponed.
He added that the 12 students, who were suspended pending completion of a disciplinary process, had been informed of their charges.
“Staff and students are urged to remain calm and exercise patience, and not to respond to provocation or to confront protest groups,” he said.
University of Cape Town (UCT) spokesperson Pat Lucas said the institution would remain closed today.
UCT posted online that the Jammie Shuttle service would not be operating and all libraries would be closed.
The university also said its investigative services had looked into disruptions and unlawful acts at the university, ahead of submitting a report to the legal office.
“Students are reminded that it is a criminal offence to interfere with, or to make unauthorised use of, fire protection equipment.”
UCT student Abongile Ncako, 25, said she desperately needed to use the library and the Jammie Shuttle service.
“The university needs to come up with a plan – a concrete plan – so that students who are not protesting are catered for and can continue with the academic year. We cannot allow individuals who clearly have an agenda to disrupt the future of so many students,” said Ncako.
Police had not responded to questions by the time of going to print.
In October last year, demonstrations, under the banner of #FeesMustFall, led to the closure of some of the country's top universities. It resulted in President Jacob Zuma ordering a freeze on tuition fees for a year. But this year the protests resumed.