Cape Town - Mounting tension at the University of the Western Cape has spurred fears of a confrontation between protesting students and a large contingent of private security personnel and various police units, including the riot squad, not seen on the campus since apartheid.
There were reports of several ambulances being seen in and around the student centre where students were consulting on where to take their campaign next.
UWC’s official Facebook page said two fires were started on the campus on Saturday, one at the residential services offices and a second at another building.
“This is being done while students are sitting in the student centre holding a meeting,” the Facebook post said. “This is a tactical effort by the arsonists to spread out security and safety staff and to take them away from the student centre.”
In other developments, UWC rector and vice-chancellor Tyrone Pretorius issued a strongly worded statement condemning the violence on campus.
Concerned leaders of the university’s convocation, representing tens of thousands of graduates, and Western Cape religious leaders, gathered on the campus last night.
A Western Cape High Court order on Friday interdicted 11 students and “all who associated themselves with the conduct” of the 11 from organising or conducting unauthorised protests, disrupting university activities, intimidation or damaging property. The order directs police “to assist in given effect to the order”.
Tension on the campus were heightened at news of the order.
In an open letter on Saturday, Pretorius said he was “deeply disturbed that what started out as a laudable national movement has degenerated at UWC into a violation of the basic rights of others”.
“If we allow... a small group of aggrieved students to hold an entire institution to ransom, irrespective of the possible legitimacy of their demands, then I’m deeply concerned about the future of higher education, in particular, and our country in general.”
Yesterday a security official told Weekend Argus there had been some “problems” at the campus, including a fire.
As dusk fell over the campus, students expressed concern that the university was setting the scene for confrontation by calling police on to the campus.
They said their fears were underscored by UWC’s official Facebook page having shared an event, Reclaim UWC, which is described as being intended to “reclaim our university from this minority”.
It goes on to say: “A small group of militants who do not represent the student body are destroying the institution we call our own. (On Friday) they went on a rampage and caused extensive damage to the admin buildings, cafe and residences, and also pinned the rector and chancellor in the admin buildings. It is the aim of this initiative to clean up the vandalism and destruction left it the wake of the protests.”
The event is to be held tomorrow at 9am.
Kaizer Festile, spokesman for the #UWCFeesMustFall campaign, said the situation on campus had become more volatile because of the failure of the rector to meet the students on Saturday, despite promises he would do so.
But the university said on Saturday it was never agreed that the rector would meet the students.
Festile said there were fears that the university was gearing up for further actions. “There are three security companies, four ambulances, the riot squad and the dog unit, which are all signs that they are preparing for a confrontation.”
Late on Saturday convocation president Mlungisi Noludwe, who was earlier prevented from going on to campus for more than an hour by campus security, said the situation was “at a very sensitive and critical stage”.
In a statement on behalf of the convocation, Noludwe expressed his support for the students, and concern at the police presence on campus and at the UWC administration’s handling of the crisis.
Weekend Argus
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