Port Elizabeth - A group of less than 100 students protested at the entrance of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s North Campus on Friday.
The students, armed with stones and sticks in their hands, continued their protest for free tertiary education amidst a strong police presence.
NMMU has been on a completed shutdown for the past three weeks but the university released a statement on Thursday night, indicating that operations at the university would commence on Friday and classes were expected to resume on Monday. This with the hope students would be able to complete the the 2016 academic year.
On Friday, student representative for the #FeesMustFall movement, Nathi Dwayi, said that upon hearing the university’s announcement, students from the group were no longer interested in engaging with university management.
Students were angry that they were not informed by management that classes would resume on Monday, prior to NMMU releasing a statement on Thursday.
“There is no longer the appetite to engage with management and come Monday we will keep this university closed,” said Dwayi.
As the protest continued and students burnt tyres police and private security guards kept a watchful eye.
At one point students were agitated by the presence of Concerned Association for Parents and Others for Tertiary Education at Universities (CAPTU), Chairperson Kobus Gerber.
CAPTU was formed earlier this week by angry parents who are seeking legal action against the university.
Attorney Brin Brody who is representing the group, earlier said that the university had failed to uphold the rights of non- protesting students. A letter of demand was sent to the university on Thursday.
At the protest actions, Gerber appeared to have got into an argument with NMMU lecturer, Professor Eugen Straeuli, who was at the demonstration to support the cause for free higher education.
Students were visibly agitated with Gerber’s presence. He was treated with hostility by angry students who shouted that they wanted him to leave.
NMMU lecturers and staff joined the protest holding up placards to show their support.
Straeuli said staff where there to stand in solidarity with students and to voice their concerns around higher education funding.
“We are here in this way to talk to the government and say that higher education funding is not in line with the yearly CPI index, furthermore funding has gone down. Statistics show that as funding has gone down the fees as a percentage of the total budget have gone up,” said Straeuli.
He added that everyone at NMMU wanted classes to resume but it could not be done “at all costs”.
NMMU spokesperson, Zandile Mbabela said the university would stick to its decision and that classes would resume on Monday.
“We will continue with engagements and communications throughout the weekend and if anything changes we will communicate timeously, “ said Mbabela.
African News Agency