Night of destruction at Western Cape university, campuses shut down following 'violent disruptions'

• Infrastructure and private vehicles were torched at CPUT’s Bellville campus on Wednesday night.
• A private security guard was also assaulted during the unrest.
• The university on Thursday morning ceased all operations indefinitely.

Buildings were torched and cars were set alight overnight at Cape Peninsula University of Technology's (CPUT) Bellville campus, prompting the institution to close all of its campuses indefinitely.

Damages were being assessed on Thursday, after about 1 000 students protested on the campus on Wednesday.

They raised their ire at the discontinuation of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances, a lack of accommodation and the news that NSFAS-approved students who have less than 60 studying credits are no longer eligible for a range of allowances.

Despite this being a national issue, the protesters are demanding that the university intervene.

The university's management said it was forced to close the campuses indefinitely after the "continued violent disruptions, torching of buildings and wanton attacks on institutional infrastructure".

"Unruly students, acting in bad faith, with the sole purpose of making the university dysfunctional, have left management with no other choice but to act swiftly and decisively. The safety of staff and students is our primary concern at this stage."

All operations, including lectures, ceased on Thursday morning, and all residences must be vacated by Friday at 16:00.

Transport is expected to be provided for students living outside the province.

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Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, said officers were at the scene.

"Members of Public Order Police - who were close by for operational support as a result of the unrest - took action when the actions of the students escalated to violence and forced the disgruntled students to disperse."

No one was arrested.

In addition to the torching of buildings, a man understood to be a private security officer was also beaten and kicked by what appeared to be a group of students.

The institution's student representative council, however, lamented the "highest level of violence and inhumane acts" of the police and private security "deployed by the useless and anti-black [vice-chancellor] Chris Nhlapo and his chronicles (sic)".

"As always, as peaceful as we are, when we were singing and chanting around campuses, the military security guards and SAPS unleashed violence against us. Understanding that we are not opportunistic and all ranks are closed, we called for peace and calm from all our students, and of course they complied," it said in a statement.

"Upon retreating, we were shot and chased around campus. Subsequent to that, we witnessed the CPS (Campus Protection Services) Centre and various departments under fire. All these atrocities are unfolding in the presence of private securities and the police. The police resorted to vandalising buildings and burning cars parked around the campuses."

A mass meeting is expected to take place across campuses on Thursday afternoon as the "position now is that the university must be put under administration".

They have called for the resignation of Nhlapo as well as that of his deputy, Gilingwe Mayende, and said they were "incapacitated" and "failed to provide leadership and sort out students' issues".

Earlier this week, however, the university's management said the grievances raised were external, although they were engaging with NSFAS on the way forward together with the student leadership.