THE LAST week of lectures at Wits University started yesterday without any major glitches, after six weeks of violent protests.
This is the last week students have before the start of the year-end exams next week.
The students want the government to give timelines on when free higher education will be implemented.
Yesterday, Wits University spokesperson Shirona Patel said classes went ahead without any major problems.
This was in contrast to last week, when protesting students disrupted classes and tests, which led to clashes with the police, who tried to disperse them by firing rubber bullets and teargas.
On Thursday, student leader Shaeera Kalla was shot 13 times in the back. This led to an outcry among the protesters.
The shooting reinforced complaints that the police were resorting to brutal force and apartheid-era tactics in an attempt to suppress the campaign for free education.
Kalla's shooting is being probed by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
On Friday, several lectures and two tests were disrupted when fireworks and stink bombs were set off in lecture rooms.
The protesters entered classrooms and pretended to settle down for a lecture before setting off firecrackers and stink bombs, Patel said.
“They also blew whistles extremely loudly so that lectures and tests could not continue, and students panicked and evacuated the rooms.
"In some cases, students continued with lectures outside the classrooms,” Patel said.
As calm appeared to return yesterday, students marched to Hillbrow police station to show solidarity with four medical students who were appearing in court.
The students were released on bail of R1 000 each. They will appear again in court next month.
Students with disabilities and workers participated in peaceful demonstration at about lunchtime, Patel said.
The students handed over two memorandums to the dean of students, Dr Puleng Lenka-Bula.
Patel said the university’s senior executive team would meet to discuss the requests and would respond to the students and workers soon.
Wits management remained adamant that it would complete the academic programme.
Vice-chancellor Adam Habib reiterated that if the university were shut down, it would affect the majority of black students.
“They are the ones who don’t have the luxury to sacrifice the year and it’s unconscionable for others to demand that they make sacrifices when you don’t know their personal circumstances.
"Our focus is to finish in the next three to four days.”
Meanwhile at the University of Cape Town, management announced that online tuition and alternative faculty-specific learning methods had been rolled out as part of the catch-up programmes.
“Exams are scheduled to commence on November 7 and a timetable has already been released to students.
"It will also be possible for students to defer their 2016 exams to January 2017,” said spokesperson Elijah Moholola.