VIDEO: #FeesMustFall takes NMMU

Students from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) who had embarked on a protest yesterday demanding there be no fee increment for 2016 were greeted with police rubber bullets and teargas on Wednesday.

About 150 of the protesting students were responding to Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande‚ who had proposed earlier this week that university fees should not increase more than 6%.

They had also joined what now has become a national Fees Must Fall protest organised by students from different universities.

Protesting NMMU students were sitting down at about 06:55‚ blocking the road leading to South and North Campuses‚ when police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

Economics student Noxolo Koko‚ who was shot in the leg‚ said students are struggling to pay tuition fees. She said an increment would thus make no sense.

"We are encouraged to matriculate but when we come to varsity‚ we are financially excluded‚" said Koko.

Avuyile Nazo‚ a Bachelor of Science student‚ said he had embarked on the protest because his mother had to borrow money to pay for his tuition.

"I am a 2nd year student and by the time I get to the end of the course‚ I will not be able to afford accommodation‚ food‚ tuition as well as textbooks."

Internal Auditing student Phil May said the students were also proposing that education be free.

"The Freedom Charter said education would be free and compulsory but we are still waiting on that promise to be delivered."

Police spokesman Captain Johan Rheeder said police had to intervene as it was illegal for the students to occupy a public road.

"We warned them but they did not listen. We were forced to use rubber bullets‚" Rheeder said.

Rheeder said 15 rubber bullets were fired.

"The public was in danger as some of the students were planning to move to other parts of Summerstrand. They also wanted to throw stones at cars."

The students said the police had not engaged with them‚ just as they had not received a response from the university's management.

Political Science student Sam Beynon said: "This is injustice. We were peaceful and not provocative. This is police brutality."

The students then sang and called on the Vice Chancellor‚ Derrick Swartz‚ to address them. They continued to chant: "Blade must fall with his 6%." -Siphokuhle Mkancu