Today marks the third day of protests at Wits University which began on Wednesday over the exorbitant residential and tuition fee increase for 2016. Classes have been cancelled today.

Things got out of hand yesterday when the protesters spilled out on to the streets of Braamfontein. The traffic was forced to a brief standstill as the protesters marched along Jan Smuts Avenue before turning on to Jorissen Street and then re-entered the campus on Yale Street. Students also blocked entrance and exit gates, preventing anyone from leaving.

The fees have increased by 10.5% for next year and the upfront registration fee by 6% taking the initial registration fee at the university to just under R10 000.

Student leader of the protest, Mcebo Freedom Dlamini, reported that the protest is foremost by members of society, and then students:

It’s a complete shutdown. In the morning we started at medical school, mobilised there and shut the campsus down. We then went to education campus and shut it down. Here [Braamfontein] foot soldiers had already shut the gates at 6am. By noon the university had come to a standstill.

We’re members of society before we’re students.

The reality of the matter is that [university vice-chancellor] Adam Habib doesn’t address us as students, but rather he addresses the media and the public.

So what we wanted is the public to see and hear our cries. That’s the point of demonstrating just outside the university. To our parents, we’re sorry that we’re doing this, but we had to do it because our mothers cannot afford to bring us here next year.

Twitter is of course alive with comments and opinions as well as communication for the protesters to keep up to speed with where to target next using the hashtag #WitsFeesMustFall.

Check out ENCa’s live coverage of the events in the video above.

[source: m&g]