'We won’t be deterred‚' Wits student vows after arrest
Students were arrested and stun grenades fired at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)‚ which vowed to open on Tuesday with a “full security contingent throughout our campuses”.
“We won’t not be deterred‚ we will continue to fight for free education whether we are arrested or not‚” one student told eNCA from the back of a police van after being arrested.
One of those reported to have been arrested was #FeesMustFall leader Busisiwe Seabe.
Seabe had posted on Facebook early on Tuesday morning: “We will not be intimidated by a mere privileged 45%. The university has attempted to de-legitimise our genuine struggle for Free Decolonised Education Now. They will not suppress our truth with lies of a 77% that is a supposed majority.”
>https://twitter.com/WITS_ARC/status/783094202045501444That was a reference to the poll run by the university last week to gauge student opinion of the resumption of the academic programme.
That arrests came after a “confrontation” between members of the SAPS and protesters near Solomon Mahlangu House.
Wits Vice-chancellor Professor Adam Habib had warned on Monday night that “security and police services deployed on all campuses and in all buildings” and that “no mass meetings will be allowed in Solomon Mahlangu House” .
That seemed to have been ignored‚ with the All Residence Council tweeting a video clip from that building showing students dancing during an early morning vigil on Tuesday.
The official Wits student representative council account @WitsSRC
also retweeted @WITS–ARC’s advice to students should they be tear-gassed or pepper-sprayed.
>https://twitter.com/WITS–ARC/status/783080527658119168Habib had noted concerns “about learning in a ‘securitised’ environment with police guarding lecture halls”‚ and said “we scaled down our security for today (Monday) and requested the police to move to the campus perimeter”.
“However‚ given the harassment of some staff today‚ I am left with no choice but to open tomorrow with a full security contingent throughout our campuses‚” he added.
This came after “a meeting of about 500 students on campus today‚ the protesting students broke into splinter groups and forced some staff to leave offices and laboratories”.
“Wits’ security was able to contain the large group‚ but not the smaller groups that moved through buildings.”
This‚ vowed Habib‚ would no be tolerated as a failure to resume academic activities on Tuesday would leave Wits with “have no choice but to close the university‚ which will compromise the 2016 academic programme and the lives of all 37 000 students”.
“Anyone caught contravening any university rule or court interdict‚ or infringing on the rights of others‚ will immediately be held accountable for their actions‚ and may face criminal charges.
“I have personally received reassurances from the police‚ from private security and Campus Control that they are on board to secure the campus and protect the lives of students and staff who want to learn and work.” – Tiso Black Star Group Digital