Student in car that bumped peers was trying to flee protesters-cop clash: NWU

A student who bumped into two of her peers with her car did so accidentally while in a panic to evade a clash between protesters and police, the North West University said.

University spokesperson Louis Jacobs said a student protest was held at the Vanderbijlpark campus on Tuesday. Police were called to the scene and some protesters started throwing stones at the police. 

“Police reacted and in that chaos the student who was driving the vehicle tried to get away from the crowd and the commotion and she allegedly bumped into two students.”

One of the students required a medical examination and was back in her residence later that same afternoon, Jacobs said. 

The university was providing support to the two students as well as to the motorist who was traumatised, he added.

The EFF student command's Promise Shabangu said students were demonstrating to pressure the university to release student allowances. 

“Since classes have already commenced, students are struggling to get access to necessities such as toiletries and food.

“While we were demonstrating, students closed the road and then there came this white lady motorist who hit these other students.”

Vice-chancellor Prof Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka said on Wednesday campus management hosted meetings with stakeholders to find solutions “following unrest and disruption” of the academic programme and services.

“We are satisfied with the progress made during these meetings and will continue to involve other relevant stakeholders to ensure the incident does not recur.

“To this end, contact/face-to-face classes will resume on Friday.

“The protection service and other law enforcement agencies remain on alert to deal with transgressions,” said Tyobeka.

The university repeated it does not have control of the evaluation of National Student Financial Aid Scheme applications, approvals, appeals and defunding processes.

“Students are aware of this; thus, it is disheartening to witness chaotic events such as the one [on Tuesday]. Perpetrators of the unrest will be dealt with harshly,” he said. 

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