Story by ANA reporter and IOL
Pictures and videos by Ilanit Chernick and IOL MOJO
Johannesburg – Lectures were disrupted at the Witwatersrand University after a group held a protest at the Braamfontein campus, forcing the institution to halt some of its operations on Monday.
According to a reporter at the scene hundreds of students were protesting as part of #FeesMustFall and against worker’s salaries and students being victimised for taking part in protests.
Some students believe that fees have not yet fallen #IOL @IOL #FeesMustFall pic.twitter.com/O5J76dnTEW
— MojoIOL (@mojoIOL) April 4, 2016
The university said in a statement earlier that there were about 30 protesters.
“A group of about 30 people have threatened students queuing outside the fees office. The fees office and all other offices on the ground floor have thus been temporarily shut,” the university said.
“We have also been notified that some lectures in Senate House and in buildings on the Wits East Campus have been disrupted. The students were joined by some employees of shopkeepers in the Matrix Student Centre and the Matrix has now been closed.”
Some students said power has been cut to some of the residences, dining hall and law library.
Current situation at #Wits West campus #IOL @IOL #FeesMustFall pic.twitter.com/eyDFzawxFH
— MojoIOL (@mojoIOL) April 4, 2016
There were also reports of scuffles between protesters and other students.
The institution said it condemned the incident as it violated a court order obtained to stabilise the campus when protests against outsourcing of workers broke out at the institution earlier this year.
The university added that it was not clear who the protesters were. Its student representative council (SRC) was not involved in the disruptions, it said.
“We have been told that today’s protest is being led by individuals, some of whom may not be Wits staff or students. The Wits Students’ Representative Council is not involved in the disruption, following the agreement signed earlier this year.”
Campus security has been beefed up to counter further disruptions.
African News Agency and The Star