UWC protests‚ arson attacks fail to disrupt start of exams

Sporadic clashes between students‚ police and private security broke out at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) on Monday as protesting students attempted to prevent exams from going ahead.

This was as exams began at off-campus venues. They continued despite the protest.

One protesting student said that there would be no exams until “free decolonised‚ afrocentric and intersectional education” was implemented.

The protest group was met by a heavy police and private security presence. When GroundUp arrived on the scene‚ police were using a water cannon to disperse about 50 students and private security were shooting paintball guns‚ while the students responded with rocks.

A student said that management was refusing to meet with them and that they were not there to fight. “We have been trying to engage them‚ but they don’t want to engage‚” she said.

This was despite the SRC releasing a statement saying that they had come to an agreement with the university management and that exams would go ahead.

UWC spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo confirmed that a university vehicle was overturned. He said that there had been incidents of intimidation by students attempting to prevent others from writing exams.

He said that on Sunday night there was an arson attack at the education faculty and that on Friday night two floors in the Reslife building had been damaged by arson.

Earlier on Monday containers of petrol were found outside the campus.

— TMG Digital/GroundUP