Police in Johannesburg have set off stun grenades and launched teargas at stone-throwing students from a leading university who were demonstrating for free education.
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The police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades in clashes at the Wits University in Johannesburg this Tuesday.
“The tuition fee issue was just a short-term plan and we, as students, are saying we can not every year take to the streets to protest over the same issue”.
Demonstrations since past year over the cost of university education – prohibitive for many black students – have highlighted frustration at the inequalities that persist more than two decades after the 1994 end of white minority rule.
The freeze has now been lifted, with Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande announcing on Monday that universities will be allowed to increase fees by a maximum of 8%.
“All staff and students at NMMU are advised to stay off all campuses‚ including George and Missionvale‚ today due to student protests in line with a national call to shut down all universities‚” the university said in a statement.
They say it does not make sense to announce a fee increase before the Commission has had chance to submit its report and believes that the State is undermining students.
“It is clear that the university has invoked private security not for the safety of students but to protect the status quo onto our campus”, says the SRC.
The University of Cape Town has suspended all lectures for Tuesday and Wednesday. Police surrounded a student residence where protesters gathered, the African News Agency reported.
Protests were also held at campuses in Cape Town, Pretoria and Bloemfontein.
Student numbers had risen since the morning and once students returned to campus they stood by the gates of Jorrisen Streets, police cordoned off the students and stood in their numbers with rifles in their arms.
Students are demanding free education and denounced government plans to raise tuition fees by up to 8% in 2017.
Students have staged protests on some other South African campuses.
“We are trying to look at strategies and possible ways for us to prevent the violence going forward”, said outgoing student representative council secretary general Fasiha Hassan.
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USAf Chief Executive Officer Professor Ahmed Bawa said: As required by the Constitution of South Africa, this interim measure facilitates in a small way the progressive access to higher education for all while a more permanent solution is found.
