[DEBATE] : (Fwd) NWUniversity student protests over ...

[Patrick Bond]

(... ?. Sapa doesn't want you to know the reason for expulsions.)

NWU students damage property
3 September 2008, 19:18

Repairs costing thousands of rands have started at the Mafikeng campus 
of the North West University after protesting students damaged property, 
the university said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Louis Jacobs said the cost of the repair work was expected 
to run into hundreds of thousands of rands.

Protests started at the campus on Monday afternoon after about 100 
students barricaded the main entrance.

"Students burnt down a guard house, stoned a campus residence and 
damaged library property," he said.

University management on Wednesday also issued a notice to remaining 
students to vacate the residences immediately due to the continued risk 
of damage to persons and property.

"The vast majority of students had vacated the campus residences by 2pm. 
Management will continue to monitor the situation and will, by the end 
of this week, assess when the campus can be re-opened," said Jacobs.

Fourteen students have been arrested so far since the start of the 
protest action.

Nine had been arrested for public violence and four for arson, Captain 
Sabatha Mokgwabone said.

Protests started in May after seven students were expelled from the 
university. The disciplinary hearings of the seven students were held 
last week.

"These seven students were found guilty. They appealed the decision and 
it was also unsuccessful. It is alleged that these unsuccessful appeals 
sparked the protests," said Jacobs. - Sapa