/ 5 September 2008

Mafikeng campus to reopen following protests

The Mafikeng campus of the North West University will reopen on September 15 after violent protests disrupted classes, the university said on Friday.

Spokesperson Louis Jacobs said that on the day before, Sunday September 14, residences will also open, to allow students to move into their rooms again.

To recover lost teaching time, all classes will continue during the recess towards the end of September.

Any further disruption of campus activities will be met with a ”zero-tolerance approach”, he said.

Protests started at the campus on Monday afternoon after about 100 students barricaded the main entrance. Students burnt down a guard house, stoned a campus residence and damaged library property.

The damage caused to campus property is estimated at more than R1-million. Thirteen students have been arrested so far.

Protests started in May after seven students were expelled from the university for inciting violent protests over a fee increase of more than 13%.

The disciplinary hearings of the seven students were held last week.

”These seven students were found guilty. They appealed [against] the decision and it was also unsuccessful. It is alleged that these unsuccessful appeals sparked the protests,” said Jacobs.

He added that disciplinary hearings will continue against students who are guilty of misconduct. — Sapa