The Technikon Witwatersrand was shut down on Wednesday after thousands of students embarked on a protest in Johannesburg against new regulations at its residences.
Hundreds of protesting students were arrested on Wednesday for trespassing and intimidation, and staging an illegal demonstration under the Gatherings Act.
The students have been protesting since Tuesday after the technikon’s management apparently changed house rules without consulting them.
”We consulted widely about this. Security of our students, especially female students, is one of our top priorities,” said Jonathan Stead, the technikon’s director of communications.
Police were called to the technikon’s Auckland Park and Doornfontein campuses after students refused to disperse. At Auckland Park dustbins were tipped into the road and tyres burned to block traffic. Students at Doornfontein barricaded entrances.
Johannesburg police spokesperson Superintendent Chris Wilken said about 50 people were arrested at Doornfontein. About 300 students, part of a large group marching through the city to join their Doornfontein classmates, were apprehended in Jorissen Street.
In Jorissen Street students were arrested after police, some in riot control gear, threw a stun grenade. Reporters saw students being manhandled and one was kicked by a policeman while on the ground.
The new rules have stopped students from taking visitors into their rooms at the hostels for security reasons.
”The management treats us like kids,” said Desmond Makharamedzha, a student. ”How can my parents not be allowed to go to my room?”
”My father pays my fees and even he is not allowed in my room,” 20-year-old Kagisho Mashiya, who lives at the Auckland Park residence, said.
”We are now told our parents have to visit us in designated areas such as the television room or reception. There is no privacy because other students are in this rooms.”
She said visitors were no longer allowed to park their cars on the technikon’s property. ”They now have to park outside and it is very dangerous. Some people have already been robbed and hijacked because they have to park outside.”
Ntabiseng Mkoena, 23, said she was uncomfortable with the new rules and they made her feel like a child.
”They [the technikon] have this motto that this is our home away from home, but in now feels like a prison. We are adults here and should take our own responsibilities. Now they tell us who we can have in our rooms — like babies.”
She said another problem was that the library closed at 9pm and study groups could no longer meet in a student’s room.
”So after 9pm we cannot study in the groups. They [the technikon] tell us we must go study somewhere else, but not in our rooms with other people. Where must we go then?” asked a visibly angry Mkoena.
Goitse Moathe, a member of the Student Representative Council (SRC), said students were the clients of the technikon and needed to be part of the decision-making process.
”We had a meeting with management yesterday [Tuesday] and at 4pm they told us the meeting could not go on because it was after hours.
”This is senseless because it is an important issue.”
He warned that if the situation was not dealt with soon, students would become angrier than they were already.
”The angrier they get the more problems there will be. We had to lock the doors to the hostels so that there is no chance of vandalism. But if they get angrier they are quite capable of breaking the locks and going into the buildings.”
But not all the students are rallying behind the SRC. Ephraihim Marungane said: ”The SRC is sugarcoating the issue, this is not about res. It is about fees and returning students who are expelled. The SRC is using us. They are robbing us of our education.”
A day student identified other grievances, such as extending visiting hours at the residences. ”It has nothing to do with us day students. The SRC is using us to fight for other things such as academic and financial exclusion.”
The technikon has announced the closure on the institute’s website. It said all four technikon campuses had been closed, and students and staff were requested to remain away from the campuses.
Professor Errol Tyobeka, the technikon’s vice-principal, said the new rule had been instituted in the interest of the safety of everyone, and students had been consulted over a period of time.
”Technikon management were in discussion with the students during the day yesterday [Tuesday], but were, unfortunately, not able to come to any resolution.
”Management attempted communication with the students this morning. However, the students have not as yet approached management to resolve the issue.”
Tyobeka accused the students of intimidation and violence. ”We deplore the intimidation and random acts of violence against institution property, and we will act against anyone found to have committed these actions.”
The arrested students have been taken to Jeppe police station and police will maintain a presence on the campuses until a resolution has been reached. — Sapa