Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma and vice chancellors from universities throughout the country have condemned violence at institutions of higher learning.
Zuma held a meeting with the vice chancellors at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday to discuss the recent violence at several campuses.
Two organisations - the University Council Chairpersons Forum of South Africa and the Universities South Africa - had asked to see the president
"The meeting was held at the request of the two organisations and focused on the recent unprecedented violence... experienced at various campuses throughout the country.
"Government recognises and supports the right of students to protest but this... must be exercised with responsibility and within the confines of the law to ensure the rights of others are not violated," said Zuma in a statement.
He urged students to stop destroying property when voicing their dissatisfaction.
"We strongly condemn the destruction of property at universities due to student protests. All disputes must be resolved through dialogue," he said.
Zuma said a new method of resolving disputes was required.
He called on institutions to open communication channels that would be useful for both students and management.
It was agreed at the meeting that government would work with all higher education institutions to open doors to students.
"University management must open legitimate channels for dialogue to resolve disputes. We believe they must be proactive and not wait for the situation to deteriorate. They must also be allowed to take strong disciplinary action when it is warranted," Zuma said.