WSU shuts doors amid security fears after days of flames, chaos

Walter Sisulu University (WSU) shut three of its four campuses yesterday amid fears for people’s safety.

“We have closed campus. It is not safe for staff and students because we cannot guarantee their safety, therefore they must leave,” university spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo said.

Violence spilt onto the N2 outside Butterworth when hundreds of WSU Ibika students set up a blockade and police opened fire with rubber bullets, while students threw rocks at the police before scattering.

The university has been thrust into chaos and violence this week, starting with a shootout and infighting among security guards in which a student and three guards were injured, torching and damaging of vehicles, and street blockades in East London on Wednesday night.

The burning issue for students is lack of decent accommodation, leading to overcrowded student rooms.

Tukwayo said WSU did not have the money to do residence repairs.

SRC-management relations sank to a low yesterday as meetings stalled and SRC leaders hit out at management “arrogance”.

The Komani campus, however, remains open and functioning.

“We strongly condemn the violent protest action displayed by students,” Tukwayo said, adding vice-chancellor Rob Midgley had “no choice but to halt administrative and academic activities to protect university assets”.

Buffalo City campus SRC president Vuyo Langeni hit out at indecent living conditions in NBS, Gladstone, Legend, ZAA, Nozi Trading and Majestic residences.

“These students pay for these residences and they want us to keep quiet and pretend as everything is normal,” he said.

“None of our grievances were responded to positively, which showed a bit of arrogance from the side of the management.

“There were very simple decisions for the management to take, but it was not the case.”

Butterworth’s Ibika campus SRC secretary Sibongiseni Mayeza said: “Students live in appalling conditions and now when we address those issues we are seen as rebels and are chased out of the campus.”

He said they were very angry and disappointed.

“We have students who come from faraway places and who have been given only a few hours to vacate the premises,” he said.

The security guard fracas has left Mthatha campus without any security.

Mthatha campus SRC president Mxolisi Zono said: “We had nothing to do with the fight of security guards, we had nothing to do with the torching of security vehicles or damaging. We are not associated with the strike of the security guards and cleaners.”

Zono said that there were some workers who had posed as students and this had created confusion.

“We are here to learn. We are neither employees nor the employer. Ours is to focus on student matters including student registration and accommodation, not labour issues,” Zono said.

Academic Professional Staff Association (Apsa) provincial spokesman Luthando Mxoli said the campus was unprotected.

“There could be break-ins,” he said.

Apsa members had volunteered to guard the campus.

Yesterday, Apsa members were seen singing and dancing at the main gate of the Mthatha campus.

There was no sign of security guards. Workers were seen leaving but students appeared to linger.

Tukwayo said they had no idea when the university would reopen.

“We will engage with the SRC,” he said.

Mthatha police spokeswoman Captain Deneo Koena said police were still investigating the three attempted murder cases and malicious damage to property.

Falcon Security’s Charles Jonker said that they had laid a complaint with the police at 1pm yesterday.

Koena confirmed the company had opened a case of theft and malicious damage to property. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za