The University of Johannesburg's (UJ) vice chancellor has apologised for "regrettable" attacks on journalists by security guards at the institution. Professor Ihron Rensburg spoke exclusively to TMG Digital on Thursday afternoon following several incidents on Tuesday. "What has happened is sad‚ regrettable and disappointing. There is nothing worse than when you're focused on holding an institution together under difficult circumstances and you get a situation like that‚ because it completely detracts attention from whatever positive or neutral activities that you have been involved in" he said. Rensburg's comments come after group of reporters on Wednesday nights were pepper-sprayed and beaten outside UJ's Doornfontein Campus by private security guards. They were circled on Joe Slovo drive‚ ordered to sit in the road and then pepper sprayed by private security belonging to Fidelity. In the process‚ a photographer was also hit in the face with a plank-like object. "So it an unconditional apology in the first instance to the journalists‚ students and bystanders. I am stunned and equally disappointed that notwithstanding carefully laid plans and agreements‚ things can go wrong so quickly‚" said Rensburg. Asked if he had engaged with the private security company following this incident‚ the vice chancellor said it was the duty of the director of private services at UJ to communicate with the company. He said that the engagement would be around the attack on members of the media. Rensburg said the university forbids any form of gathering by the students without prior permission from management. "The court order prohibits the gathering of a protest on campus because of previous experiences of running out of control. The university has rules and guidelines in terms of the university expects you to conduct yourself‚" added Rensburg. According to the vice chancellor‚ UJ has three units of security personnel: About 200 insourced security guards‚ 400 outsourced security guards (Grade A and B) which will be insourced as of 01 October 2016 as well as the crowd control unit (bouncers). All outsourced security personnel are from Fidelity. It costs UJ R500 000 monthly for "low risk" and R1.5 million for "high risk" to hire private security. Since last year October to date‚ UJ has spent almost R15 million on private security guards...