Wits interdict shows Habib has lost control: EFF student leader

30 October 2015 - 15:17 By Lizeka Tandwa, News24
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Vice-chancellor Adam Habib stands in front of the Great Hall at the University of the Witwatersrand. File photo
Vice-chancellor Adam Habib stands in front of the Great Hall at the University of the Witwatersrand. File photo
Image: Waldo Swiegers

Wits University vice-chancellor Adam Habib has lost control of his house, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) student leader Vuyani Pambo said.

Pambo was reacting to the urgent high court interdict the university obtained on Thursday evening.

The interdict allows the police to step in if there are violent protests; if students and staff are intimidated or if classes are disrupted. However, Pambo said this was proof Habib was not the right man for the job, adding that this was a scare tactic and another provocation by university management aimed at protesting students.

"The burning of property is solely at the feet of the university, because they provoked protesting students when they brought in extra security and police," Pambo said.

Several fires were started at Wits University's Braamfontein campus overnight on Tuesday.

Pambo said he warned Habib and the Wits University council it was not wise to resume classes.

"We told them not to open the university gates until they address outsourcing of workers and reschedule the exam timetable to accommodate all the students," he said.

Wits University spokesperson Shirona Patel said there had been incidents of vandalism and intimidation by those who did not want the academic programme to continue.

"This is just to allow police to be able to come in and intervene, because police told us they cannot act against perpetrators without an interdict,” Patel told News24.

Source: News24

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