Medunsa protest ends – charges to be laid
Violent protests at the Medunsa campus have come to an end, however, it is not clear when the university will reopen.
The University of Limpopo’s Medunsa campus will not reopen on Monday as initially hoped, spokesperson Kgalema Mohuba said.
He said the executive committee of senate would first consider the situation to determine the way forward after two-week long violent protests at the Ga-Rankuwa campus.
“The Student Representative Council (SRC) has been disbanded. An agreement was reached late on Thursday afternoon that the students should refrain from acts of violence and intimidation.”
On Wednesday, Vice Chancellor Nehemiah Mokgalong suspended academic programmes and ordered students to vacate the campus. He also demanded the disbandment of the SRC.
Mohuba said: “The protests have stopped and all the students have returned to the campus residences on Thursday. We will be laying charges against the student after violence ensued during the protest.”
Medunsa students caused chaos and violence at the campus as students demanded the dismissal of lazy lecturers’, said to be failing students deliberately. They also objected to the proposed renaming of the medical institution to Sefako Makgatho. Another gripe related to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which the students claimed failed to pay 100% of their fees.
SRC president Melusi Marakalala said the university was not being managed properly.
“There are serious irregularities at the campus and unfair practises by the lecturers and the administrators that were supposed to have been properly addressed a long time ago. We will not allow anyone on the campus until our demands are met,” he said.
“The issues have been neglected and we exhausted all the options so maybe they will listen to us now. They have evidence of what we have been demanding and yet sit on it instead of acting in the interest of the students.”
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Also read:
Medunsa riot leaves staff stranded
Medunsa students to vacate campus
