Rubber bullets fired at NWU students

Cape Town 31-03-04 Protestors burnt tyres in Elsies river protesting against a mans house who was taken down . They threw rocks at police who retaliated by shooting rubber bulletts , tear gas , stun grenades and a water canon was used to disperse the crowd Pic BRENTON geach

Cape Town 31-03-04 Protestors burnt tyres in Elsies river protesting against a mans house who was taken down . They threw rocks at police who retaliated by shooting rubber bulletts , tear gas , stun grenades and a water canon was used to disperse the crowd Pic BRENTON geach

Published Oct 26, 2015

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Rustenburg - Police fired rubber bullets at protesting North West University students at the Mahikeng Campus on Monday, the university said.

University campus spokesperson Koos Degenaar said students blocked the road in front of the campus. He did not say if there had been any arrests.

“The uprising is still ongoing. The police fired rubber bullets,” said Degenaar.

He denied earlier reports that the university library had been looted and torched.

“As far as I know nothing has taken place at library,” said Degenaar.

The campus cafeteria was looted on Wednesday last week, when students joined the countrywide “fees must fall” protests.

Mahikeng campus SRC president Benz Mabengwane on Monday said students burnt tyres in front of the campus after the police shot at them with rubber bullets.

“The police fired at the students … we are now at the entrance of the university. It is a total shutdown. No one is allowed in,” Mabengwane said.

Mabengwane said despite President Jacob Zuma’s announcement on Friday that there would be no fees increases at universities next year, university management reportedly still had to decide whether they aligned themselves with that decision.

“Although the President has made an announcement we must all know that actually there is what we call institutional autonomy,” said Mabengwane.

“Then the council of the university must decide as to whether they align themselves with the decision of the President or not.

“That is why we have not stopped with our protests, we are still continuing and we will ensure that we never rest until the council has also confirmed that they are going to align with the decision of the president.”

He said the protest was also about transformation.

African News Agency

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