The University of Johannesburg (UJ) will investigate allegations of racist incidents on campus where black students say they are "living in a climate of fear". Local South African Students' Congress chairperson Xolani Mkhwemnte said on Friday there had been an outbreak of "racially motivated incidents" on the Kingsway campus since Monday this week.
A disagreement broke out on Wednesday over whether University of Johannesburg (UJ) students would honour a memorandum of agreement on fee increases. While the independent mediator called in to resolve the dispute claimed an agreement ending the impasse was in place, the Student Representative Council said no accord had yet been reached.
An independent mediator has been appointed to facilitate talks between students and management at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), its Student Representative Council (SRC) said on Thursday, The Department of Education had on Monday appointed mediator Onkgopotse Tabane, said SRC president Mhlobo Hoyi.
Department of Education officials met University of Johannesburg (UJ) students on Wednesday, said the Student Representative Council (SRC). SRC president Mhlobo Hoyi said students met the officials but he would only know the outcome later on Wednesday.
The University of Johannesburg is to tighten security on all four of its campuses, management said on Monday. Vice-chancellor Ihron Rensburg said a group of sixty students disrupted a test that was in progress at the Doornfontein campus in the morning. "We will not tolerate that sort of misconduct. They signed an agreement not to disrupt classes."
Students of the University of Johannesburg are set to continue their protests over fee increases, the university's Student Representative Council (SRC) said on Saturday. "Protests will continue. We want 0% increment ... during the meeting the management negotiating team resorted to an all-or-nothing approach," said the SRC president.
Discussions over fee increases at the University of Johannesburg started on Friday night and would continue into the weekend. "Agreements were reached that substantive discussions on the fee increment would commence immediately and continue over the weekend," said a university spokesperson.
Protesting University of Johannesburg (UJ) students were negotiating with the management on Friday afternoon. More than 300 students marched outside the Bunting Road Campus as they waited for the institution's management to attend the scheduled meeting between the two parties.
Disgruntled University of Johannesburg (UJ) students on Friday decided not to attend a scheduled meeting with management to resolve campus issues. The university's spokesperson, Sonia Cronjé, said the meeting between student representatives and management had been scheduled for 2pm.
A march in protest against fee hikes and police shootings will take place at the University of Johannesburg's (UJ) Kingsway Campus on Friday, students said. "We are asking for a peaceful and disciplined march; we cannot allow the police to shoot us again," a protesting student said on Thursday. The march will start at 9am.
A 31-year-old woman was hit by a rubber bullet fired by police outside the Robin Crest residence in Saratonga Avenue, Johannesburg, during a student protest on Tuesday. Margaret Titsi and her sister were crossing the street at traffic lights when police demanded that they clear the road.
Police used water spray on University of Johannesburg (UJ) students who were shaking the entrance gate to the Kingsway Campus on Monday afternoon. Students earlier said they were going to break the gate down if they were not allowed access to the campus. They said they would resort to anarchy.
Hundreds of University of Johannesburg students were protesting on their campuses on Monday morning, Gauteng police confirmed. Police spokesperson Constable Sefako Xaba said police had been called to the campus on Bunting Road where about 200 students had gathered.
An 8% "overall range" of price hikes was confirmed by the University of the Witwatersrand council, the institution said on Saturday. This followed three days of protests at the university over increases in the upfront fees payment students are expected to make in 2008, and against students having to pay for their own accommodation.
Protesting students stormed into lecture theatres at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on Wednesday, disrupting classes and chasing away lecturers. "We have called police back to campus in a bid to have order restored," management spokesperson Shirona Patel said.
Charges were withdrawn against 43 University of Johannesburg students who appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Wednesday for public violence during protests last year. The students were arrested following protests against an increase in tuition fees.
