Cape Town - Three security guards were injured and buildings were set alight on two Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) campuses early on Wednesday morning, allegedly by protesting students.
CPUT Whatsapp groups on Wednesday morning reported that one of the guards had died but this could not yet be officially confirmed.
The Short Courses Centre at the Cape Town campus and Control Centre at the Bellville Campus were badly damaged by fires.
Much of the Cape Town campus building is now a shell of charred walls surrounded by ash and shards of glass. The roof of one of the rooms in the building has totally collapsed.
At the Bellville Campus, the Control Centre near the entrance gates is in a similar condition. Three security staff suffered lacerations and smoke inhalation during this attack.
Police cordoned off the building on Wednesday morning. The entrance to campus was barricaded with rubble that had fallen from the collapsed roof of the Control Centre at the gates. A water pipe had also burst and water had spread across the floor.
A statement issued by Fees Must Fall CPUT distanced themselves from the damage and condemned the damage of university facilities.
“FMF CPUT would like to repudiate and lament with the harshest possible terms thuggery elements, torching of buildings and vandalism that happened overnight, when we were sleeping.
“FMF CPUT has been peaceful and open to engagement from day one of our protests. We want to ensure the public and the university community that we are committed in resolving and defusing the current impasse in the most responsible, respectful and peaceful manner possible with the aim of finding lost lasting solutions,” the statement read.
The student movement committed itself to working with police to ensure that those responsible for violence and torching of the property are brought to book.
On Wednesday morning only a handful of students roamed around the Bellville Campus examining the damage.
CPUT spokeswoman Lauren Kansley said in light of Tuesday night's activities, a decision was taken to suspend classes at the university until further notice.
“At a practical level this will mean contact classes are suspended but in some cases, where the curriculum must still be completed, online and other forms of tuition will take place.”
Kansley said faculties have devised business continuity plans for all academic programmes which will be communicated to students through their departments.
She said the university's attempt to resume classes on Tuesday had also been disrupted by student protesters.
“The Bellville campus was particularly hard hit where students had running battles with police and security guards. Twelve students were arrested in Bellville, three in Cape Town and four in Mowbray. We also suffered infrastructure damage and a vehicle and guard hut was also set alight.”
Protesters at the Cape Town campus on Tuesday claimed private security staff, who wore riot gear and flung stun grenades, targeted them during clashes. It was also suggested private security was provoking students as the situation escalated.
zodidi.dano@inl.co.za
Cape Argus