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 [protesting students] signed an agreement on Friday not to disrupt classes.”
He said parents of students were now threatening to remove their children from the institution, and the university would do anything in its power to ensure normal academic progress.
”Anybody who fails to abide by the rules and the court interdict will face the consequences,” he said.
There would be a strong police presence on all campuses and misbehaving students would face criminal charges or be expelled from the institution.
The university was not backing down on its 14% fee hike but were open to proposals and recommendations from the students, Rensburg said.
Meanwhile, University of Johannesburg students will continue with protest action despite management’s warning to take drastic measures against them, the Student Representative Council (SRC) said on Monday.
Responding to the university’s statement that they would tighten security on all campuses, the SRC’s George Molepo said they were not fazed by the warning.
”We are not worried about the strong presence of cops and expulsion threats. We will continue marching peacefully.”
He said he was not aware of disruptions caused by 60 students at the Doornfontein Campus on Monday morning, as Rensburg had alleged earlier.
”I was at that campus today [Monday] but I didn’t see that. Tell him [Rensburg] that we want proof and we’ll deal with whoever was violent,” Molepo said. — Sapa