Fiery protests spread to embattled UKZN's Pietermaritzburg campus

Fiery protests have spread to the embattled University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN's) Pietermaritzburg campus, where a guardhouse and a kitchen, attached to a student examination hall, went up in flames on Monday night.

Shortly before the alleged arson incident, protesters hurled stones and bottles at vehicles driving past the campus.

UKZN spokesperson Ashton Bodrick said the exam hall did not catch on fire.

“Protesters committed acts of arson and damaged property on the Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses last night and in the early hours of this morning.

“Fire and emergency services managed to extinguish the fire.”

Bodrick said that at the Westville campus, protesters set fire to a section of the gymnasium and a mobile office.

He said the university's risk management services (RMS), public order policing, SAPS and emergency services worked throughout the night to safeguard the campuses and arrest  suspects.

“University RMS have locked down certain areas of the campuses at night, increased the number of security staff deployed and is conducting frequent checks at student residences,” said Bodrick.

The protests come after an office building of the HIV and Aids support unit at the Howard College campus in Durban was torched on Monday.

At the Edgewood campus, which houses the university of school education, a car was set on fire.

“The university strongly denounces all acts of criminal behaviour. University RMS and SAPS are investigating all incidents of assault, destruction of property and arson. Several arrests have been made since the start of the protest action,” Bodrick said.

Lectures would continue at all campuses, he said.

Students are protesting about funding issues, particularly the 15% of their historic debt that they are required to pay before they are cleared for registration.

The Student Representative Council (SRC) told TimesLIVE on Monday that it had reached an impasse in negotiations with the university managers.