JOHANNESBURG - Hundreds of students from the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) on Monday marched to the ANC's Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg demanding that all schools have security guards.
“School learners are living in fear, [which] has therefore caused a serious drop in attendance rates at many schools; gangsterism, bullying and violence inside school premises have turned young children into dangerous human beings in schools and communities,” said Cosas.
Singing struggle songs, students from various schools handed over a memorandum of demands to ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule.
The students said they were demanding security guards, adequate sanitation, classrooms, libraries, laboratories, electricity and water.
"We demand that all #FeesMustFall activists be granted amnesty or pardons [and that an inquiry be established] into high costs of data - and ultimately be reduced. And we demand that infrastructure backlogs be fast tracked."
Additionally, all teachers found guilty of sexual harassment were to be removed from the profession and stripped of their qualifications.
Magashule received the memorandum, saying students must "continue with the struggle". "The ANC commits and will address all the demands raised by Cosas, so that in future you don't have to leave classes to make your demands," he said.
"Continue with the demands, comrades, because they are legitimate and genuine, the ANC will never run away from you, we support your demands."
The governing party had seven days to respond to the demands, said the students.