Police disperse protesting students outside Parliament as Gordhan delivers mid-term budget

Police started dispersing protesting students outside Parliament as Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was delivering his mid-term budget speech.

The chanting students ‚ who are demanding free education‚ had earlier handed a memorandum to Gordhan as he was making his way inside Parliament.

This happened just as Gordhan announced an additional R9-billion for post school education which increases the budget allocation by 18% from the previous year.

 Stun grenades explode outside parliament

Stun grenades exploded outside parliament for the second time in a year as thousands of students clashed with riot police as the country’s finance minister read out his mini-budget speech.

Students ran for cover after what had‚ up until about 3pm‚ been a peaceful protest in which students clambered over police vehicles and handed a memorandum of demands to Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

Journalist Tshego‚ tweeting under the handle @tshegofatsang captured the moment on video.

Student activists from universities around the country took turns lambasting government from a vantage point alongside the Louis Botha statue outside parliament as Gordhan delivered his speech.

But the confrontation started after a burning box was reportedly thrown in the direction of police.

Protesting students swarmed Parliament ahead of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene’s mid-term budget in October 2015. Pandemonium broke out as they forced their way into the Parliamentary precinct and were pushed back by police using stun grenades. Nene continued delivering his budget speech.