Durban – The Durban University of Technology has suspended its academic programme on its Indumiso and Riverside campuses in Pietermaritzburg, after student unrest on Wednesday.
DUT spokesperson Alan Khan confirmed violent protest action had erupted at Indumiso campus.
Protesters threw stones at the police and barricaded the road, burning tyres and disrupting traffic on FJ Sithole Road, Khan said.
“This also prevented DUT staff and non-protesting students from accessing the campus,” he said.
Khan said issues raised included food prices, students’ failure to get funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and that some B-Tech students had not been unblocked for registration due to outstanding fees.
The decision to suspend classes was taken to ensure the safety of staff and students until the matter was resolved, Khan said.
In addition to suspending classes, DUT also instructed students in Pietermaritzburg to leave residences in the Midlands Centre by 3pm on Thursday.
Registered students would be allowed back on Sunday, Khan said.
The academic programme at the two campuses was expected to resume on Monday.
“The university acknowledges that this interruption is not ideal and compromises the thousands of students in Pietermaritzburg who want to be in class. However, with the violence on display this morning (yesterday) and following consultation with the police, a decision was taken in the best interest of safety and security for all DUT staff and students in the Midlands Centre,” Khan said.