UKZN Westville joins national shutdown
Students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus in Durban have gathered at the campus’s admin block quad to stand in solidarity with other students across South Africa calling for a 0% fee increment.
Some say they were pulled out of classes by other students earlier today to join the demonstration.
The Westville SRC’s Nash Khumalo says they have demanded that the institution’s Vice Chancellor come and address them on the issue of fee increases.
"The issue is that even Indians and white people are joining the march because they feel that it's not only black students that are affected but we're all affected by the issues of fees.
"We are saying we are not going to rest and all those students that are still arrested must be released," he said.
See the protests at UKZN Westville below.
Students at the Howard College Campus in the city are said to be also staging a sit in.
Additional security measures have been put in place at all campuses.
Management says it is in discussions with the SRC over fees.
It comes as student body SASCO has called on students across the country to join their mass action against varsity fee hikes.
Several universities including Wits, UCT, The University of the Free State and the University of Pretoria have suspended classes.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande yesterday announced that fee increases will be capped at 6-percent for next year.
However, students have rejected this calling for no increases at all.
The #NationalShutDown is among the top Twitter trends in Durban.
See photos from the standstill at UKZN Howrd College.
(Photos, video by Anelisa Kubheka)