Technikon Witwatersrand students were shocked at the news that they had to vacate their hostel rooms by 6pm on Wednesday after two days of protests against technikon management.
”Where do they expect us to sleep? My parents have paid thousands of rands for my room,” said 20-year-old Kagisho Mashiya.
The technikon announced earlier in the day that students would have to vacate their rooms to protect the institution’s property and the lives of others living on the campuses.
This follows protests by thousands of students against new regulations at residences. Students are no longer allowed to take visitors into their rooms for security reasons.
Solly Manyeli, a member of one of the house committees, asked where the technikon expected students to spend the night as many of them were from other provinces and overseas.
”I am shocked by this move. Where do they expect everyone to sleep tonight? I also want to know who is going to look after the expensive equipment in students’ rooms, like computers and radios,” he said.
Technikon spokesperson Mary Willemse said the institution took the decision after much discussion.
”We needed to take decisive steps for security purposes,” she said.
Asked how it could force students to vacate rooms for which they had paid to live in, she said the students signed a code of conduct to live in the rooms and had broken it by participating in an illegal protest.
”I know it’s harsh but management feels it is necessary,” Willemse said.
Students have accused management of changing the house rules without consulting them, but management has denied this saying students were consulted extensively.
The technikon did not open on Wednesday.
More than 300 students were arrested earlier in the day for trespassing, intimidation and staging an illegal demonstration under the Gatherings Act.
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.
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.
Goitse Moathe, a member of the Student Representative Council, 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.
All four technikon campuses have been shut until further notice.
Professor Errol Tyobeka, the technikon’s vice-principal, said the management had been in discussions with student representatives, but no resolution had been reached.
He 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 institution has a student body of about 15 000, of which about 3 000 reside in campus hostels. — Sapa