Students at the University of Witwatersrand on Friday vowed to intensify their protests despite management suspending some of them.
Karabo Natloga, from the student representative council (SRC), said university management was trying to silence the students by suspending them.
“Our last resort has been the streets and we are going to remain here until the university and the government at large respond to the calls of the university SRC,” he said.
On Thursday the university announced the suspension of a group it said were disruptors.
“This afternoon we issued multiple suspension orders to disruptors who transgressed the university’s rules. The legal office will continue to work through the evidence submitted by the Wits community to ensure perpetrators who can be identified are charged,” the university said.
“During the course of the suspension processes and other investigations, we found some perpetrators who were committing infractions were academically excluded. Some had failed multiple times, had lost their funding and were demanding to be registered.”
Wits SRC members say suspension of fellow students won’t halt protests
Image: Alaister Russell
Students at the University of Witwatersrand on Friday vowed to intensify their protests despite management suspending some of them.
Karabo Natloga, from the student representative council (SRC), said university management was trying to silence the students by suspending them.
“Our last resort has been the streets and we are going to remain here until the university and the government at large respond to the calls of the university SRC,” he said.
On Thursday the university announced the suspension of a group it said were disruptors.
“This afternoon we issued multiple suspension orders to disruptors who transgressed the university’s rules. The legal office will continue to work through the evidence submitted by the Wits community to ensure perpetrators who can be identified are charged,” the university said.
“During the course of the suspension processes and other investigations, we found some perpetrators who were committing infractions were academically excluded. Some had failed multiple times, had lost their funding and were demanding to be registered.”
Wits suspends ‘disruptors’ following student protests
Natloga said students have given them a mandate to take their grievances to the streets.
“We had a mass meeting and we engaged with students. Our frustration as student leaders is that every time students knock on our doors [seeking assistance] we have no answer. We engaged with the management and we didn’t get any response,” he said.
Natloga alleged the university was trying to silence them by suspending students “without a legal standing”.
“How can you suspend someone for throwing garbage? It doesn’t make any sense. What is happening is that they are trying to scare us and we are not shaken,” he said.
A group of students marched in Braamfontein on Friday, chanting and singing struggle songs.
Protestors are also camped at the university’s Yale Road south gate 10 entrance.
Students disrupted lectures at the university during the protests this week.
Protesting students are calling for:
Police and private guard tactical response units are on high alert.
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