South Africa

South Africa

In photos: Violent Clashes at Wits

In photos: Violent Clashes at Wits

While violence, confrontation and intimidation ensued on the Wits campus on Tuesday, GroundUp spoke to Imraan Valodia, the Dean of Commerce, Law and Management at the university. By Ihsaan Haffejee and GROUNDUP staff. All photos by Ihsaan Haffejee.

First published by GroundUp

It’s pretty rough at the moment,” said Imraan Valodia, the Dean of Commerce, Law and Management at Wits. “We’ve been trying to run the academic programme. We decided on doing it in a phased way. First get the academic and administrative staff on campus. That happened yesterday. And resume the normal academic programme today.”

Police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at protesters. Protesters in turn disrupted classes and threw rocks at police. One police officer was injured, as were several students.

Several women students, two of them topless (photos not shown) removed their shirts and approached police after clashes between students and police.

Police fired rubber bullets and stun grenades at protesters.

Valodia said a “significant amount of intimidation” had taken place on Tuesday. “Students came through buildings, sometimes asking, sometimes forcing members of staff to leave offices.”

Valodia said the academic programme proceeded till 10:30am on Tuesday until protesters went through classes, forcing lecturers to stop teaching.

A police officer gets ready to throw a stun grenade. 

Protesters throw stones at police.

Protesters take cover during clashes with police.

Several police officers attempted to arrest student leader Mcebo Dlamini. Protesters tried to stop them. In the scuffle, Dlamini escaped. He was later seen with his hands bandaged.

One of the police officers who tried to arrest Dlamini was injured.

Stun grenade sent protesters fleeing.

Students take cover and comfort each other.

A student hands flowers to a police officer on the Wits University campus on Tuesday. At least one police officer accepted the flowers and exchanged a warm greeting with the protester.

Protesting students make their way around WITS University in an attempt to keep the institution shut down.

Valodia said: “I fully support the call that any student who can’t afford it should not be denied a place at university. But most students want the academic programme, and people who depend on it. Medical students are about to go into the profession, lawyers too. We support the call for affordable education, but we can’t stop the university. DM

Main photo: A protester throws a stone.

Gallery

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