NINE Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) students arrested on Friday for public violence spent the weekend behind bars at Umlazi police station.
The nine were arrested after more than 800 students burnt tyres and threw stones at passing cars and damaged university property. They have been charged with public violence and malicious damage to property.
The students were demanding that the university write off their unpaid outstanding 2010 fees and register them for 2011.
The students in custody include three members of the Students' Representative Council (SRC).
Suspended MUT SRC president Andile Biyela said the students were fighting for the "rights" of the thousands of students who cannot afford the fees.
"We are between a rock and a hard place. The students have only two choices, go home and not study or fight for registration. Not studying cannot be an option," he said.
"We blame the current management of MUT for this crisis.
"MUT is a public institution and they must devise a plan for how students can be allowed to pay the money back.
"Every student has a different situation.
"Some students can pay back R2000 and some R4000 a month, it all differs and they cannot apply this blanket approach," he said.
Biyela said he was suspended on Monday after MUT management got wind that a strike was planned in protest against the payment of outstanding fees.
"We are optimistic that the arrested students will get bail when they appear in court because they are 100percent correct in their fight," Biyela said.
He said thousands of MUT students were in arrears.
Registration is expected to resume today as the nine students appear in the Umlazi magistrate's court.
Police have been maintaining a heavy presence at the university.
Students' fight for fees lands nine in prison cells
NINE Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) students arrested on Friday for public violence spent the weekend behind bars at Umlazi police station.
The nine were arrested after more than 800 students burnt tyres and threw stones at passing cars and damaged university property. They have been charged with public violence and malicious damage to property.
The students were demanding that the university write off their unpaid outstanding 2010 fees and register them for 2011.
The students in custody include three members of the Students' Representative Council (SRC).
Suspended MUT SRC president Andile Biyela said the students were fighting for the "rights" of the thousands of students who cannot afford the fees.
"We are between a rock and a hard place. The students have only two choices, go home and not study or fight for registration. Not studying cannot be an option," he said.
"We blame the current management of MUT for this crisis.
"MUT is a public institution and they must devise a plan for how students can be allowed to pay the money back.
"Every student has a different situation.
"Some students can pay back R2000 and some R4000 a month, it all differs and they cannot apply this blanket approach," he said.
Biyela said he was suspended on Monday after MUT management got wind that a strike was planned in protest against the payment of outstanding fees.
"We are optimistic that the arrested students will get bail when they appear in court because they are 100percent correct in their fight," Biyela said.
He said thousands of MUT students were in arrears.
Registration is expected to resume today as the nine students appear in the Umlazi magistrate's court.
Police have been maintaining a heavy presence at the university.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos