Arrest reports at Wits false‚ students to gather for mass meeting

19 September 2016 - 17:11 By Roxanne Henderson

Students at the University of the Witwatersrand have marched to the Johannesburg campus's entrances‚ blocking them‚ after reports of arrests were made to SRC members“We have just been informed that there might be some students who have been arrested. We're now trying to locate where those students are‚ but we've also then turned the direction of the march around to try and address what's happened. To try and provide support‚” said SRC secretary general Fasiha Hassan.Hassan said later‚ however‚ that arrest reports were false.Once the march has been concluded students and their leaders will gather for a mass meeting without the media to decide on a way forward‚ she said.This comes after incoming SCR president Kefentse Mkhari called for a shutdown of the university's operations on Monday‚ after higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande's announcement on 2017 fee increments.Nzimande had announced that universities must determine the level of fee adjustments for 2017 themselves‚ with the proviso that this should not be above 8%.Hassan said that the students were marching to bring more on board.“Not everyone is involved unfortunately but this is to bring it their attention. That it's an issue of national importance. Free education is a public good.“We don't want to divide the student movement by calling for groups and that kind of thing. What we want is free education.“Of course it's a long-term goal. It's a marathon. Which means you address those who need it first and most desperately. Which means at the first roll-out we're looking for free education for the poor.“The SRC is fully committed to however long it will take. Of course we must be strategic about how we apply pressure here and there but we are fully committed to the cause and we are willing to put our bodies on the line if needs be."All uni entrances are being closed off by students #FeesMustFallpic.twitter.com/XSaFbANvFa
— Abigail Javier (@AbigailJavier_) September 19, 2016WitsHassan said the movement should not provoke any violence.“We are going to remain non-violent. We will not have interactions with the police. We sit down and sing Senzeni Na. We will deal with the issue as peacefully as possible so that there's no need for violent interaction.”Moments earlier an intense standoff between police and SRC members outside a university building ensued‚ in which certain SRC members asked the media to leave.SAPS car has been blocked from leaving #FeesMustFall2016pic.twitter.com/46wLKZiDWp— Abigail Javier (@AbigailJavier_) September 19, 2016Wits“Media must go. No more pictures. Media must go‚” they said.Descending on the university's entrances‚ one group of students blocked a police vehicle from leaving...

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