Chaotic scenes that mimicked the haunting images of 2019’s fiery riots played out once again at Wits University on Thursday, where debt-owing students rendered a shutdown at the Braamfontein campus.
2023 Wits shutdown: Here are the latest updates
Led by Wits’ representative council, large crowds of disgruntled students led a peaceful protest outside the main campus on Tuesday, 1 March 2023, where a memorandum of demands was submitted to the tertiary’s management.
What started out as a raucous but peaceful picket escalated into a full-scale riot in a span of 24 hours, after Wits University management issued a statement threatening prosecution against any student caught participating in the shutdown.
According to the university, Tuesday’s academic program went on smoothly with little-to-no interruptions, albeit disruptions were reported in the science, commerce and education faculties, where two classes were allegedly raided.
In a bid to cater to more than 36 200 registered students, Wits University beefed up security and “brought in external protection officers to manage key entry and exit points [on Wednesday, 2 March 2023].”
“CPS (Campus Protection Services) is also reviewing video footage and other evidence, which will be used to charge and/or suspend perpetrators, in line with the University’s rules, policies and procedures,” Wits warned in a statement.
On Wednesday, large groups of angry students ramped up the shutdown by burning rubble and blocking roads outside the Braamfontein campus with large obstructions.
As reported by Newzroom Afrika, Wits shutdown protesters were caught on camera intimidating passenger-carrying taxis and forcing commuters to walk long distances to the main connecting transit station on Bree Street.
According to Wits’ SRC, the 2023 Wits shutdown is an effort to get the tertiary to:
- lobby for NSFA to lift its R45 000 cap on accommodation funding immediately;
- allow all students owing R150 000 or less to register for the 2023 academic year;
- waive its R10 000 upfront fee for accommodation;
- allocate an additional R30 million toward the Hardship Fund’s efforts to provide beds for homeless students; and
- waive all debts owed by recipients of the fund.
In response to the demands, Wits University said:
“The Dean of Student Affairs is engaging with student leaders at present to try to address some of the demands. However, a number of the issues raised are systemic issues which need to be addressed at the national level. These will be channelled to the appropriate leaders via Universities South Africa and other fora.”
Here are some of the clips we picked from the 2023 Wits shutdown:
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