Windows were broken, property was damaged and 36 students arrested as almost 1 000 Northlink students went on the rampage.
|||Cape Town - Windows were broken, property was damaged and 36 students were arrested as approximately 1 000 Northlink students went on the rampage at the Belhar campus for the second day on Thursday.
The students also stole a campus security car’s battery and spare wheel when they broke through the gates, which had been locked with handcuffs.
The Belhar campus was closed on Thursday and Friday, and will re-open on Monday when exams are being held.
Northlink students started protesting on Wednesday because of travel allowances that had not been paid, but college spokesman Ivan Swart said the students were also protesting because their first term exam results had not been released.
“The travel allowance has not been paid due to the fact that the full National Student Financial Aid Scheme allocation has not been received by Northlink College.
“However, new information has been received that the protests are no longer just related to the travel allowance, but also because the Department of Higher Education and Training has not released the first trimester results yet.”
He said the college was seeking legal advice on how to deal with the situation.
The Belhar campus was under police surveillance for most of Thursday.
Students also wreaked havoc at the Bellville taxi rank on their way to the Bellville campus, and the police arrested a total of 36 protestors for public violence.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said the police would remain on the scene to monitor the situation.
“We policed unrest situations at Northlink Colleges in Belhar and Bellville. Damage to property was caused in Belhar, however the extent is for the college to determine.”
Traut said that 22 protestors had been arrested in Bellville and 14 arrested in Belhar.
“The situation is under control, however, a police presence will remain in the area to maintain law and order.”
Engineering student Shadon Nichols referred to the protest in the riot that caused him to miss class on Thursday.
“Exams start on Monday. We could not even get that last bit of revision or help from our lecturers. This is wrong - protesting should be banned. I am disgusted to say I study alongside those ignorant beings.”
Another student, who chose not to be named, said the students protested from the Bellville campus to the Belhar campus.
“I don’t know if they were violent at the Bellville campus but they were at Belhar campus. The security was shooting at them with paintball guns so they (students) returned the message by throwing bricks.”
yolisa.tswanya@inl.co.za
Cape Argus