Students attempt to disrupt exams at UWC

Security guards, police and protesters clash

Private security clashed with protesters today. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks

By Ashleigh Furlong

7 November 2016

Sporadic clashes between students, police and private security broke out at the University of the Western Cape today as protesting students attempted to prevent exams from going ahead.

Exams began today at off-campus venues and they continued despite the protest.

One protesting student said that there would be no exams until “free decolonised, afrocentric and intersectional education” was implemented.

The protest group was met by a heavy police and private security presence. When GroundUp arrived on the scene, police were using a water cannon to disperse about 50 students and private security were shooting paintball guns, while the students responded with rocks.

A student said that management was refusing to meet with them and that they were not there to fight. “We have been trying to engage them, but they don’t want to engage,” she said.

This is despite the SRC releasing a statement saying that they had come to an agreement with the university management and that exams would go ahead.

Earlier today containers of petrol were found outside the campus. UWC’s spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo also confirmed that a university vehicle was overturned. He said that there had been incidents of intimidation by students attempting to prevent others from writing exams.

He said that last night there was an arson attack at the education faculty and that on Friday night two floors in the Reslife building had been damaged by arson.