/ 17 May 2000

VARSITY STUDENT DIES IN CLASHES WITH POLICE

A 30-YEAR-OLD University of Durban-Westville student has died after being hit by a rubber bullet during a skirmish between students and police on the campus earlier in the day. That’s after about 200 students went on the rampage, overturning a security vehicle, breaking windows and trashing rubbish bins. The violence was sparked by a disagreement with the university’s administration over unpaid fees. Police fired on the students after confronting a group trying to force people out of a car. One student was hit by a rubber bullet which penetrated through his chest and other students were injured. Two students have been arrested for malicious damage to property. The university has been temporarily shut. The students started protesting about a week ago after management’s decision to cancel the registration of 517 students after they failed to pay their R1500 registration fees. Last week members of the public order policing unit was called in to contain the situation on the campus after about 500 protesting students looted the cafeteria, damaged windows and disrupted classes. Last Friday, two students were hospitalised after clashes between protesting students and campus security.