KwaZulu-Natal community safety MEC Mxolisi Kaunda called on University of KwaZulu-Natal bosses to expel students who torched university property during free-education protests this week.
Several buildings and facilities on UKZN campuses in Durban and Pietermaritzburg have been set alight‚ allegedly at the hands of students‚ and Kaunda‚ speaking at a crime and safety briefing on Thursday morning‚ said those responsible need to have harsh action taken against them.
“I also take this responsibility of engaging the management of these institutions to say that those involved in burning their property must not be treated as students‚” said Kaunda.
“They must be treated as thugs and hooligans‚ and must face the might of the law. You can’t keep those people in those institutions. If there is cause to expel them‚ then expel them.”
Protesting students have been critical of the police’s allegedly heavy-handed handling of their protests‚ including allegations that one officer raped a student.
But Kaunda‚ who did not speak directly to the allegations‚ called on police to arrest offending students‚ and to “defend the authority of the state‚ because the authority of the state gets undermined when they do such things”.
“We need to send a clear message that we have fought for the liberation of this country you can’t allow anyone to undermine law and process by taking his or own actions. There’s no reason that can be justified to say it has pushed them to commit such a criminal act‚” he said. – Tiso Black Star Group Digital/The Times
‘UKZN vandals must be treated as thugs and hooligans‚ not students’: MEC
Several buildings and facilities on UKZN campuses in Durban and Pietermaritzburg have been set alight‚ allegedly at the hands of students‚ and Kaunda‚ speaking at a crime and safety briefing on Thursday morning‚ said those responsible need to have harsh action taken against them.
“I also take this responsibility of engaging the management of these institutions to say that those involved in burning their property must not be treated as students‚” said Kaunda.
“They must be treated as thugs and hooligans‚ and must face the might of the law. You can’t keep those people in those institutions. If there is cause to expel them‚ then expel them.”
Protesting students have been critical of the police’s allegedly heavy-handed handling of their protests‚ including allegations that one officer raped a student.
But Kaunda‚ who did not speak directly to the allegations‚ called on police to arrest offending students‚ and to “defend the authority of the state‚ because the authority of the state gets undermined when they do such things”.
“We need to send a clear message that we have fought for the liberation of this country you can’t allow anyone to undermine law and process by taking his or own actions. There’s no reason that can be justified to say it has pushed them to commit such a criminal act‚” he said. – Tiso Black Star Group Digital/The Times
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