The Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO) in KwaZulu-Natal today calls on the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, and Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to urgently intervene amid the ongoing violent protests at the KwaDlangezwa Campus, University of Zululand.
As a result of the violent protests, the university has issued a notice of closure for this campus.
DASO strongly condemns any destruction of property and the disruption of classes.
The protest is due to the safety concerns at the off-campus residences which follows last week’s incident where students were robbed at one of the residences. Laptops were stolen as well as cellphones and clothes.
It has also been reported that female students were sexually assaulted during this incident. Concerns over off-campus safety have been an ongoing issue for years now without any remedial solutions from the university management.
Since 2019, there have been similar protests regarding the safety of students who live in off-campus residences. Following that strike, the university management promised to address the issue of safety, but to date, nothing has been implemented, causing grave frustration amongst students. Even more concerning is the fact that there is no police station nearby or police visibility even though this area is a hotspot for robberies.
It is in this regard that we call on Ministers Blade Nzimande and Bheki Cele to urgently intervene as the university management has failed us.
We will continue fighting for the safety of students and ensuring that they can continue with their studies in a conducive environment.