There was utter chaos at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on Wednesday when riot police clashed with student protesters and used rubber bullets, stun grenades and teargas. Ashraf Hendricks documents the day-long standoff where a building was set alight, fires started and rocks thrown at police and private security. The protests were triggered by an email from the Chairperson of Council, which criticised the #FeesMustFall movement and said the protesters needed to engage with the SRC in order to have a special council meeting.
Photos by Ashraf Hendricks
News | 12 November 2015
About 150 students from iQhayiya High School in Khayelitsha marched to the Western Cape Department of Education to demand an answer from the acting deputy director, Benjamin Schereka, to their list of demands.
Thembela Ntongana
News | 11 November 2015
Chaos erupted at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) today as police used rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades against students protesting against the stand taken by the head of the university council.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 11 November 2015
The disruption of a University of Cape Town senate meeting yesterday by about 150 protesters has been condemned by the Black Academic Caucus and the UCT Academic Union, as well as by Dean of Humanities Sakhela Buhlungu.
GroundUp Staff
News | 10 November 2015
Students disrupted a meeting of the University of Cape Town (UCT) senate today and threw water bottles at vice-chancellor Max Price when he refused to release workers to attend a mass meeting.
Thembela Ntongana
News | 9 November 2015
Free higher education for all privileges the rich, argues Nico Cloete of the Centre for Higher Education Trust (CHET).
Nico Cloete
Analysis | 8 November 2015
Students at Iqhayiya Secondary School in Khayelitsha claim that they are subjected to corporal punishment, have to pay school fees when they are a no fee school and are unable to be members of organisations such as Equal Education.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 6 November 2015
Despite what appeared to be a promising joint statement yesterday morning by University of Johannesburg (UJ) management and trade union Nehawu, tension escalated through the day on campus, culminating in police using force to disperse demonstrators.
Photos and text by Juliette Garms
News | 5 November 2015
An agreement was reached at UWC late last night after a seven hour meeting between Rector Tyrone Pretorius, the Students' Representative Council (SRC) and #FeesMustFall. The agreement includes the university’s commitments on a range of issues including free education, outstanding debt, registration fees and outsourcing.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 4 November 2015
A school caretaker falls into a pit toilet and struggles for an hour to get out; snakes invade a primary school classroom: it’s just another day in Eastern Cape schools.
Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik
News | 3 November 2015
On Monday, a group of about 300 protesters at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) continued their call for free education, an end to outsourcing, scrapping registration fees, clearing student debt, and the incorporation into the institution of Kovacs private residence on the UWC campus.
Ashleigh Furlong and GroundUp staff
News | 2 November 2015
Activists are always in a minority, 1980s student leader Llewellyn MacMaster told students in Cape Town last night.
GroundUp Staff
News | 30 October 2015
Police used stun grenade and spray guns to disperse a group of about 300 Walter Sisulu University (WSU) students who intended to block Oxford Road with burning tyres.
Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik
Brief | 29 October 2015
A few hundred students and workers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) marched to parliament this afternoon demanding an end to outsourcing at all universities, protesting against police brutality, and calling for free education.
Ashleigh Furlong
News | 29 October 2015
On Wednesday, over 300 parents of children going to Masiphumelele High School and Ukhanyo Primary School attended a meeting organised by student governing bodies (SGB) of both schools and the Masiphumelele Youth Development Forum to discuss a way forward to make sure children do not miss any more schools days due to protests.
Thembela Ntongana
Brief | 29 October 2015
The University of Cape Town (UCT) has agreed, in principle, to employ its workers directly, and charges were dropped against 23 protesters. But at Wits, students and reporters were intimidated by protesters. Here are reports of today's protest activities from Cape Town, East London and Johannesburg.
GroundUp staff
News | 28 October 2015