Rustenburg – A science centre at North West University’s (NWU) Mahikeng campus built to get school children interested in science was set alight by protesting students on Wednesday night.
The university’s Mahikeng spokesman Koos Degenaar said that police and security were on campus and he had been informed by telephone that the building was burning.
“It is currently burning as I talk to you. I’m not on campus myself. It’s too dangerous to go there,” he said.
Degenaar said that the trouble on the campus had started after a newly appointed Student Representative Council (SRC) was inaugurated on Wednesday.
The previous SRC was dissolved earlier this month by the university management, which claimed that it had not been performing its duties as required by its constitution.
After the inauguration there were running battles between university security and students who supported the previous SRC. Rubber bullets and teargas had to be used to disperse the students.
Twitter was abuzz with reports of the situation at the campus.
One twitter user - Kearbetswe - who posted a picture of the burning building, tweeted: “Situation right now at NWU Mafikeng. God Intervene.”
Other comments on Twitter referred to a student having been shot dead. This could, however, not be immediately verified.
African News Agency
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