Durban - Two students were arrested when balaclava-wearing protesters tried to block traffic on the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus early on Monday.
The protest came soon after university management and student leaders had spent the night hammering out an agreement to restore peace to the institution.
UKZN spokesman, Lesiba Seshoka, confirmed consensus had been reached on all of the concerns raised by students in their memorandum to university management, and “this should ensure that there will be no more disruption”.
“All of the short-term matters raised will be addressed immediately and that there will be ongoing consultation on all long-term matters raised,” he said in a statement on Monday night.
Monday’s protest started at about 7.40am and involved five students.
“The university’s risk management services dispatched reaction officers. The students separated and disappeared into the residences,” said Seshoka in an earlier statement.
He said campus security reported protesting students had used pepper pray and a student had been found in possession of it. Despite this, “the academic programme continued on all campuses today”.
Central SRC, president Dithobe Mosana, condemned the violence, but said he sympathised with those who had been arrested.
Mosana said they had been negotiating with management from Sunday until early on Monday and had reached an agreement. He said the terms of the deal would be communicated to all students today.
Westville student representative council member, Philani Ntshobeni, said students had been protesting over student financial aid issues, fee increases and the conditions of residences.
Protests have rocked the university since mid-September, forcing management to call an early holiday break. Classes resumed last Monday.
Ntshobeni distanced the Westville SRC from Monday’s protest and said it had been spontaneous action by the students. “We, as the Westville SRC, can’t control them any more,” he said.
Because of a court interdict preventing them from gathering, Ntshobeni said they could not tell students to stop.
Ntshobeni said SRC members from various campuses of the institution, but excluding Westville, had been busy with negotiations with management.
He said the Westville SRC would not be a part of negotiations until its president, Lukhanyo Mtshingana, was released from prison.
Mtshingana and Luwazi Magwaza were arrested in mid-September.
They were charged with public violence for allegedly burning two motor vehicles, setting alight a building and causing damage to other vehicles, including those belonging to law enforcement officers.
They have been remanded in custody and their bail application was “continuing”, National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara confirmed on Monday night.
On Monday, Likho Soldati, a protesting student, said: “We do not want to be violent. We don’t wake up and decide to strike… It is a last resort.”
The 21-year-old from Kokstad said she had missed a semester of BCom studies because she had not received financial aid since the beginning of the year. Soldati said she was supposed to finish her degree this year, but would now have to spend an extra semester at the institution. She vowed not to attend classes until the problems were resolved.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane confirmed two students were arrested for public violence at the Westville campus. They were threatening other students, Zwane said.
The two spent Monday night at Westville police station and were set to appear at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
Daily News