Pretoria - Many Tshwane University of Technology students have returned to the institution’s residences despite the Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa campuses closing due to a string of violent protests.
Students from Soshanguve north and south campuses, Ga-Rankuwa. Mbombela and eMalahleni campuses started leaving the campuses on Sunday. This was after a notice was sent out saying they should only return later. They then established that the notices were not eviction notices, but advice from TUT to leave for their personal safety.
Other students have heeded the advice and returned to their respective homes in various provinces.
Remaining students at the Soshanguve campuses could be seen milling outside and around the campuses, saying they were relieved they were not evicted because they would have been stranded.
Sifiso Mahlangu, a third-year correctional services student, said he had been highly annoyed by the protests and the suspension of classes.
“This is unfair, because it’s February already, semester tests are usually scheduled in less than three weeks from now and we haven’t attended a single class,” he said.
Mahlangu said the tug-of-war between TUT and the student representative council needed to be resolved to allow them to continue with their studies.
“We need them to sort things out, because we are just wasting away here on campus. Students are fighting for a good cause, but we need them to sort this out quickly,” he said.
Last week, two students were injured during a clash between private security guards employed by TUT and students. This prompted the institution to advise students to vacate the campuses for their own safety.
TUT spokeswoman Willa de Ruyter said that due to escalating violence at the affected campuses, a decision was taken to suspend activities until an agreement was reached with the SRC.
Two weeks ago, students closed down the two Soshanguve campuses because of inadequate NSFAS funding and a shortage of residences.
By Monday, the Pretoria campus had also been affected by the nearly three-week-long protest with classes being cancelled and students being told to return home.
Mpumelelo Kgaphole, a second-year crop science student, said she was unaware that the situation had spread to the main campus.
“I am from Hammanskraal and had to come to campus only to be told there would no classes on Tuesday. I wasted money and time to get here. This problem needs to be resolved soon,” she said. Students wearing T-shirts of different political parties were preventing students from accessing the campus.
SRC president Tshepang Makgatla said they were having a peaceful demonstration and did not intend using violence.
Pretoria News