#FeesMustFall: Vaal students continue violent protests

Student protests continued at the Vaal University of Technology in Vanderbijl Park as students pelted stones at cars.

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Johannesburg - Student protests continued at the Vaal University of Technology in Vanderbijl Park throughout Wednesday night and on Thursday morning.

While students pelted stones at cars parked inside campus, as well as passing vehicles, police retaliated, firing rubber bullets and stun grenades at them.

A building used to store old, broken furniture had been burnt down during the night by angry students.

Computers were stolen from the a residence matron’s office and the shattered glass of smashed windows lay strewn across many parts of the campus.

Protests started on Tuesday, a day after the institution was reopened, bringing classes to a standstill.

A total of 17 students had been arrested since the protests started, for charges including arson, intimidation, and damage to property.

Expelled SRC President Troy Mathebula was adamant that they would keep the university closed until the seven SRC members who had been expelled or suspended were reinstated.

Meanwhile, the university’s spokesperson Mike Khuboni, said that the institution’s management had met with security personnel at an undisclosed outside location to discuss the way forward.

“Security has been dispatched to calm and resolve the situation. The police have had to retaliate, because the students are throwing stones,” he said.

Mathebula claimed that student leaders, predominantly those belonging to the EFF, were being victimised for standing up against management.

According to Mathebula, they had questioned management about the alleged misappropriation of a university trust fund established to benefit poor students - a matter which they had brought to the attention of the Public Protector’s office.

“(When) we started the protest, we handed a memorandum to management, but to this day they have never come to us… to discuss how we go forward,” Mathebula said.

But Khuboni argued that management were open to meeting with students through the right channels.

He was concerned that the 2016 academic year would be wasted if the protests continued.

“We’re going to do everything in our power to ensure stability. There is so much at stake here.”

@Gabi_Falanga

gabi.falanga@inl.co.za

The Star