THE Limpopo department of health and social development has "temporarily" closed down three nursing colleges after riots in the past week.
About 300 nursing students have been told to vacate their campuses until further notice.
This follows ugly incidents in which students at the Mankweng, Giyani and Thohoyandou nursing colleges destroyed their institutions' property last week.
They were allegedly demanding to be allowed to proceed with their courses despite failing major subjects.
In Mankweng students broke chairs and tables and emptied rubbish bins onto the floors.
In Giyani the students burnt tyres on the college premises and in Thohoyandou students locked the college's gates and barred officials from entering.
Spokesperson for the department Selby Makgotho confirmed yesterday that the three colleges had been closed down.
"But the closure of the colleges is a temporary measure while we are looking at ways of resolving the impasse," Makgotho said.
The department, according to Makgotho, was still assessing the damage that had been caused .
Meanwhile, Mankweng police spokesperson Inspector Malan Nchabeleng said yesterday the seven students of the Mankweng Nursing College who allegedly destroyed the college's property would appear in the local magistrate's court today.
They were charged with malicious damage to property and public violence.
Police had initially arrested 140 students, but after questioning them seven of them were then charged.
3 nursing colleges shut down
THE Limpopo department of health and social development has "temporarily" closed down three nursing colleges after riots in the past week.
About 300 nursing students have been told to vacate their campuses until further notice.
This follows ugly incidents in which students at the Mankweng, Giyani and Thohoyandou nursing colleges destroyed their institutions' property last week.
They were allegedly demanding to be allowed to proceed with their courses despite failing major subjects.
In Mankweng students broke chairs and tables and emptied rubbish bins onto the floors.
In Giyani the students burnt tyres on the college premises and in Thohoyandou students locked the college's gates and barred officials from entering.
Spokesperson for the department Selby Makgotho confirmed yesterday that the three colleges had been closed down.
"But the closure of the colleges is a temporary measure while we are looking at ways of resolving the impasse," Makgotho said.
The department, according to Makgotho, was still assessing the damage that had been caused .
Meanwhile, Mankweng police spokesperson Inspector Malan Nchabeleng said yesterday the seven students of the Mankweng Nursing College who allegedly destroyed the college's property would appear in the local magistrate's court today.
They were charged with malicious damage to property and public violence.
Police had initially arrested 140 students, but after questioning them seven of them were then charged.