South Africa: Students Burn Tyres As Nelson Mandela University Protest Stops Classes

About 30 protesters blocked North and South campus entrances with burning tyres and barricades, stopping cars and turning students and staff away.

Student leaders say first year funding concessions and poor residence conditions remain unresolved despite talks with university management and the council.

Students brought Nelson Mandela University to a stop on Thursday morning. They blocked entrances to the North and South campuses.

Tyres burned at the gates. Barricades stopped cars from getting in. Some students and staff were turned away.

The protest was led by the Economic Freedom Fighters Youth Command at the university.

The group said it is too soon to start physical classes while key student issues remain unresolved.

"As the EFFYC, we have decided to take it to the ground so that the university can hear and comply with our demands," the group said.

Student leader Olwethu Gwelana said they had tried to secure a meeting with management. He said the protest was a last resort.

"First issue that we have here, the university seeks to exclude first year students from getting concessions," he said.

Gwelana said some first year students forgot to apply for National Student Financial Aid Scheme funding. He said they are now struggling to get help.

He also raised concerns about accommodation at the South Campus.

"The Portfolio Committee came and said that the state of the residences here is not good for accommodating students," he said.

"But the University is still allocating students to those residences and they say they will make up solutions and renovate, but they haven't done that to date."

The university said about 30 people blocked both campuses.

It said it respects the constitutional right to protest. But it warned that protests must not threaten safety or disrupt academic activities.

Management said it has been engaging the Student Representative Council. Some demands have been addressed and others are still under consideration.

The university said protection services and police were clearing the entrances. It confirmed campuses remain open and operational.

Read the original article on Scrolla.