More than a hundred students and workers are expected to appear in the Brixton Magistrate’s Court on Monday after being arrested while protesting outside the University of Johannesburg's Kingsway campus.
The arrests came after they allegedly contravened a court order prohibiting protesters from gathering within 500 metres of the campus on Friday as exams started for the university's 42,000 students.
The 141 protesters spent Friday night at the notorious Brixton police cells.
Among those arrested included several Student Representative Council leaders, including former Wits SRC president and a leader of the #FeesMustFall movement, Shaeera Kalla.
Protesting students have come out in support of workers who are demanding an end to outsourcing.
The protesters were released on free bail with a warning on Saturday morning.
Police spokesperson Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said earlier on Saturday that any other alleged infractions during the protests such as public violence would become clearer on Monday when the group appeared in court.
University of Johannesburg vice chancellor for strategy Mpho Letlape told News24 at the weekend that protesters were informed before their arrests that they were in violation of the order.
“They were requested to disperse and they did not do so.”
She said the order itself was distributed on campuses, given to people at the gates, and was disseminated on social media, so its terms were known.
At a Cabinet briefing at Parliament on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said government was still working on finding at least R2.4 billion to cover the shortfall that will arise from the promise announced by President Jacob Zuma that university fees not go up next year.
So far, budgeting has not included buying universities out of labour contracts.
Source: News24
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
