#UKZN: Journalist tweets arrest drama

Picture: Shan Pillay

Picture: Shan Pillay

Published Sep 30, 2016

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Durban - Six students and one journalist were arrested during protests that broke out on the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus on Friday.

Details of the arrests were unclear, but police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that six students had been arrested on charges of participating in an illegal public gathering and public violence.

Zwane said that the six students were expected to appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Apart from the six students that had been arrested, News24 journalist Kaveel Singh was also arrested and was taken to the Westville police station.

“I’ve been detained by [the] police with a student and am being taken to a police station @News24 #FeesMustFall #UKZN,” he said on social media platform Twitter.

He was later released without being charged after a company lawyer intervened.

It is understood that police fired stun grenades and began dispersing the crowds that had gathered.

The protesting students earlier moved from lecture hall to lecture hall removing students from classes.

Despite the protests against university fees, it is understood that the university has remained open.

It was also not clear what charges the student was facing, but there is a Durban High Court interdict against protests.

University spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said that the academic programme was going ahead as normal at most campuses. He said there were no reports of disturbances at Howard College, Edgewood, Pietermaritzburg and Medical School campuses.

“The Westville campus experienced sporadic protest action throughout the day. Some lectures were disrupted and three scheduled tests were cancelled. A number of the students engaging in illegal acts of violence have been apprehended.”

He made no reference to the arrested journalist, but also pointed to the fact that a High Court Interdict was in place.

The University has a High Court interdict in place protecting it against unlawful protests, disruptive gatherings, demonstrations, mass action, intimidation or any violent act to persons or property at the entrance and premises of University campuses.

African News Agency

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