Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma was engaged in a high-level meeting with key players of the education sector at the Union Buildings in Pretoria before midday on Friday.
Zuma walked into the meeting room accompanied by officials from the presidency, bodyguards and several ministers including Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini.
Vice-Chancellors of South African universities and representatives of student formations were already in the room.
Some of the student leaders were wearing African National Congress, Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters T-shirts.
The sound of singing emanating from protesting students who were on the Union Buildings lawns area could be heard from the meeting room.
Outside students chanted slogans, argued with the police and pulled down a fence .
Smoke is billowing from a section of the south lawns after students burned tyres. In the last hour, some of the students have been taunting the police.
Students from Soshanguve started throwing bottles over a gate on the Union Building lawns where a podium was erected.
Zuma is expected to address students later on Friday.
Some students were hitting the fence and others were climbing onto it.
“He's not taking us seriously, we've been here for a while,” one student said on television.
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has promised students that Zuma would come and address them, as tempers continue to rise.
“We are trying to find and amicable solution, and please, stay calm. The President will come out and address you,” Nene said.
#FeesMustFall @eNCA things are certainly getting heated here and it's more than this fire VIDEO pic.twitter.com/1DRPUDBda2
— Nontobeko Sibisi (@Nontobek0Sibisi) October 23, 2015
Generally, the situation is tense, and according to the police, best described as unpredictable.
Pretoria News, Reuters and ANA