The pilot project involves 39 public higher education institutions, including the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Western Cape
On Wednesday Wits University shutdown its main campus in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, forcing the university to cancel its academic activities.
Angry students blocked entrances to the university in protest against management’s increased fees by 10.5% next year and the upfront registration fee by 6%.
According to student Mcebo Freedom Dlamini, who was axed earlier this year as president of the student representative council (SRC), increasing fees is unfair. Dlamini told the Mail & Guardian that vice-chancellor Adam Habib must go.
Over 2 000 students participated on the protest. Some expressed their grievances on social media under the hashtag #WitsFeesMustFall and #WitsFees.
Students who were not part of the protest wanted to leave the university, but they couldn’t.
As expected some students refused to participate on the strike.
Earlier this month almost 2 000 students, workers, and staff gathered to protest Wits’ “exploitative” practice of outsourcing support workers. On Wednesday some cleaners and lecturers joined the protest against fees increases.
After long hours of student protesting, police were called in to calm the situation.
#WitsFeesMustFall was trending the whole day on Wednesday and it was still trending on Thursday morning.
It seems like the protest will continue. Wits SRC sent out this tweet now in the morning.