Learning has once again been suspended at the University of Zululand (Unizulu) following a violent protest that ravaged the KwaDlangezwa Campus last night.

All students have been instructed to vacate their residences by no later than 16:00y, and no one will be allowed to remain on campus.

Angry students went on a rampage over delays in their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) payments, vandalising some buildings and setting cars on fire as a result.

According to the university, the institution has been engaging with NSFAS over unpaid student payments since June.

“The university cannot be held ransom through looting and the wanton destruction of critical infrastructure. The safety and security of staff and students are paramount,” Unizulu says in a statement.

According to King Cetshwayo Cluster police spokesperson Captain Siyanda Shangase, public order police and members form Mtunzini SAPS are deployed at the campus to monitor the situation.

Violent protests across KZN

The Witness reported that Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has met with the board of NSFAS to ‘iron out the issues that have been causing havoc in KZN’.

This after protests erupted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Durban University of Technology over the past week.

In a joint statement from the minister’s office and the NSFAS, Nzimande criticised the reports of violent demonstrations occurring in various campuses. Nzimande said that using violence to express one’s disapproval of anything cannot be justified and should be rejected by everyone, even student leaders.

Also read: Alleged UKZN protesters released, matter not on roll