Port Elizabeth – Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, has called on communities to help authorities track down and bring to book criminals responsible for arson attacks at universities.
Nzimande was reacting to the latest arson attack to hit the country's public universities, the torching of a procurement building at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University's South Campus at the weekend.
In a statement, Nzimande said "enough is enough, and it is time that all South Africans join hands to stop this madness".
He further called on communities to assist authorities to "track down this criminal minority and put an end to their barbaric behaviour".
"It cannot be that this tiny band of anarchists, who are hiding behind legitimate stakeholder concerns, can continue to hold this nation to ransom, and be allowed to destroy our young democracy and the future of our students, their families and communities."
Just a week after lectures at NMMU commenced for the 2017 academic year a building at the university’s South Campus was petrol bombed and vandalised.
Police discovered two petrol bombs at the scene and graffiti on the walls proclaimed “The ANC Must Fall”, “Zuma Must Fall”, and “Fees Must Fall”.
A bag filled with stones was also thrown through the glass doors.
No arrests have been made yet and police are investigating a case of arson.
NMMU has offered a R50 000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators behind two petrol bomb attacks on campus.