Violence, chaos at UKZN campus protest

Outsourced workers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus toppled a private security vehicle.

|||

Durban - Outsourced workers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus toppled a private security vehicle on Thursday morning – although classes continued uninterrupted.

The workers – who marched in their hundreds on Varsity Drive – were violent, the university said.

Across the country there were tensions also at the University of Pretoria and at the North West University’s Mafikeng campus, where an administration building was set alight on Wednesday night.

UKZN spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said off-duty outsourced workers prevented workers who were coming in for their shift from taking up their posts and partook in illegal protest action.

“A private security vehicle was severely damaged by the protesters. Two people were injured in the fracas and received the necessary medical attention. The situation is tense, but under control,” Seshoka said.

He said classes were ongoing and there were no reports of disruption, adding that private security and the university’s risk management services were monitoring the situation.

“A final high court order was granted to the university to ensure the safety and security of the university community and the protection of its property. The university respects the rights of those who wish to protest lawfully and peacefully without infringing on the rights of those who want to work and learn,” he said.

The university said it had requested employees of the outsourced workers to ensure workers were paid a “moral wage”, and were still waiting for responses from the service providers.

The university has established a task team to investigate the feasibility of insourcing/outsourcing of services at its five campuses.

“The work of the task team is at an advanced stage and it is anticipated that they will report to executive management with proposals shortly,” said Seshoka.

At the Durban University of Technology calm has been restored since Monday’s rampage at the Steve Biko campus.

DUT spokesman Alan Khan said the situation was back to normal, and said the six suspended students – including SRC President Siphesihle Mthembu – were barred from participating in academic or non-academic activities at the university for the duration of their suspension.

“They are also not permitted to enter any of the DUT campuses or residences, pending the investigation of the allegations, and any disciplinary hearing that could take place,” said Khan.

Outsourced workers from the cleaning and security services who had been protesting have returned to work.

The students clashed with private security, who are alleged to have fired live ammunition at students.

The university has denied live ammunition was used. Classes have been suspended indefinitely at the campus and students have been asked to leave campus.

At NWU, students linked with the EFF Students Command disrupted the inauguration of a newly appointed SRC, demanding a by-election.

The previous SRC was dominated by the EFFSC, after they won elections last year, but the SRC was disbanded for allegedly fuelling violence on campus. The new SRC was appointed by the university.

EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi called for the removal of private security and said they would engage the university over the removal of the EFFSC members from the SRC.

“The EFF leadership is making arrangements to meet the NWU management to find a lasting and peaceful resolution to the situation… The EFF believes that the SRC must be democratically elected and no university management must unilaterally remove or appoint SRCs,” he said.

At the University of Pretoria, classes will resume next week with security on high alert.

UP spokeswoman Anna-Retha Bouwer said there would be added security at the Hatfield and Groenkloof campuses, and said the academic schedule would need to be revised.

Students at the campus are at loggerheads, as some student formations are calling for Afrikaans to be dropped as a medium of instruction, while others have vowed to protect their language.

On Thursday morning, hundreds of students marched silently around their closed campus, praying for a resolution to the racial tensions rocking the institution.

The students from different races held a large placard on which was written #PrayerWalk.

Daily News