Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) has vowed to continue with academic activities, despite having to suspend classes on Wednesday after protesting students burned tyres and barricaded the entrances to two campuses of the Pretoria institution.
Although TUT had planned to reopen all its campuses on Wednesday, #FeesMustFall protests flared up at the Pretoria, Ga-Rankuwa, Arcadia and Arts campuses on Wednesday morning.
Staff and students at these campuses were advised to go home for the day while management assessed the situation.
Protesting students then proceeded to march through Pretoria central where they clashed with police after they forcefully removed students from other colleges, and schools. The group also forced shops to close.
In a statement, TUT spokesperson Willa de Ruyter said TUT management had engaged students and was hoping to resume classes on Thursday without interruptions.
“The disruptions primarily took place at the entrances of the Pretoria, Ga-Rankuwa, Arcadia and Arts Campuses and there has been no destruction of property at any of these campuses. Minor disruptions were also experienced at the Soshanguve Campus, while the situation at the distant campuses in Polokwane, Mbombela and eMalahleni continued uninterrupted,” de Ruyter said.
“Members of the executive management this morning also engaged with the protesters, comprising members from PASMA, [Economic Freedom Fighters] EFF and the Radical Student Movement, at the Pretoria Campus in an effort to disperse the group peacefully, but unfortunately the [South African Police Service] SAPS had to intervene to disperse these protesters.”
Students at state universities across the country have been protesting for free education under the campaign #FeesMustFall.
Protests began three weeks ago after Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande announced that state universities could decide on their own how much to hike their fees for 2017, but such increases were capped at eight percent.
De Ruyter said the TUT has adapted its academic calendar to ensure the successful completion of this academic year.
“If this academic year is not completed it will not only have an extremely adverse effect on the academic futures of our current students, but also on new students who want to start their studies at TUT next year, as there will be no space available,” de Ruyter said.
“Activities at all the university’s campuses will therefore continue tomorrow. Security measures will be reinforced at all the university’s campuses.”
De Ruyter said staff and students would only be able to access campuses with their TUT identification cards.
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