Durban - Three petrol bombs have been found at the SRC office block of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus, and a dozen more discovered at a student residence at the Pietermaritzburg campus after a fresh wave of protests over fees.
The alarming discoveries come as acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane, on Thursday revealed that police had learnt the #FeesMustFall movement had been infiltrated by people bent on provoking “another Marikana”.
A Westville SRC leader told the Daily News on Friday the bombs may have been planted in their offices to discredit the student leadership on campus.
Details on the finds, made Thursday and on Wednesday, were sketchy at the time of publication, but the Daily News has established that in Pietermaritzburg, members of the UKZN Risk Management Services (RMS) and private security guards (MI7) found the bombs at the Malherbe residence on Thursday.
An RMS source, who is not permitted to speak to the media, said 12 glass bottles half-filled with petrol, some stuffed with newspapers and rags, as well as two five-litre containers of petrol, were found.
“We are just relieved that we made the discovery before they were used,” the source said, adding the discovery of the petrol bombs was made after violent protests by students on Wednesday night.
RMS were called upon to douse two fires allegedly started by students, one on Peter Mokaba (Ridge) Road and another to a university-owned bakkie on Carbis Road.
Both fires were extinguished by RMS and MI7 before any major damage could be done.
According to the source, the public order policing unit was called in to assist UKZN security on Wednesday night, after students hurled marbles, broken bottles and stones at guards and at lecture venue windows. Students were allegedly also seen setting off firecrackers.
A test scheduled at the Petrie Hall venue was cancelled on Wednesday evening because of the upsurge of violence. No arrests were made in connection with the violence on Wednesday. University spokesman, Lesiba Seshoka, confirmed the discovery of petrol bombs at the Westville campus student representative council office block and the finds in Pietermaritzburg.
“This reinforces the university’s stance not to decrease security around the campus,” he said.
In Pietermaritzburg, the William O’Brien lecture hall and part of a student residence had been burnt during the student protests in the past three weeks.
Eighteen students arrested for public violence are in custody awaiting their bail application next week.
Briefing the media in Pretoria on Thursday, Phahlane said: “We have noted with concern information at our disposal which suggests that the #FeesMustFall initiative has been infiltrated by forces with agendas not aligned with those who seek free education to advance themselves.
“The agenda of those with ulterior motives is to provoke the police to the point where there are fatalities, attempting to create another Marikana,” he added.
“I have not named anybody and I am not tempted to do so.” He said criminals were taking advantage of the protests as drugs were found on campuses.
“It is evident that criminality and criminal elements have taken advantage of the young people in the universities under the disguise of supporting the #FeesMustFall initiative.”
Philani Ntshobeni, secretary of the Westville campus SRC, said they had not received any detailed information about Thursday’s find from the police or the university.
“We heard about the petrol bomb but we don’t have the details. The police won’t divulge much because the matter is still under investigation.
“I strongly believe that the bomb was planted to discredit and target the student leadership. Our offices are always locked but can be easily accessed through the ceiling from adjoining rooms,” said Ntshobeni.
He said to access the offices one needed the code for the lock.
“We will wait for the authorities to brief us on the findings of their investigation. We are not aware of any arrests at this stage,” he said.
Twitter was abuzz on Thursday with concerned students expressing their fears after the discovery of the petrol bombs in KZN.
One student said she felt as if she was walking into a “Syrian warzone”.
Another said he felt as though he was “risking life and limb” by attending lectures, while others lamented the petrol bombs being found and called for students to “not give up the fight”.
Second-year student, Keri Brooks, said she was shocked by the cache of petrol bombs.
“I don’t think our safety can be guaranteed any more. The situation has reached epic proportions. We are literally risking our lives by stepping on to campus,” she said.
Daily News