Wits University management says an internal investigation will be conducted into a scuffle that occurred between a student and a member of the private security company deployed on campus. This follows a video which shows the altercation and has gone viral on social media.
Management has denied deploying private security guards to intimidate and victimize students who are conducting a peaceful protest.
Witness what wits management permits security to do to its students #wits #witshungerstrike pic.twitter.com/fSueQTjLdL
— ?NELLY? (@Nelly_rego_More) February 5, 2019
Students and members of the SRC have embarked on a hunger strike. They are demanding that students with outstanding debt be allowed to register and the university accommodate those without anywhere to stay.
The University has also denied claims that it made arrangements with the Student Representative Council that students who owed the university R100 000 or less would be allowed to register.
Mcebo Dlamini says he has asked the University management to tell the Security to leave. “if they (security) want to come to Wits they just write matric and come here , not victimize student” #WitsHungerStrike #WitsProtest pic.twitter.com/wrb9Qp68DA
— Zamayirha Peter (@UZamayirha) February 5, 2019
Wits University Spokesperson, Shirona Patel, says the security officers were trying to maintain order when the protesting students started to threaten other students.
“The university condemns any form of violence. There was an incident this morning, which we have committed to investigate and the reason the scuffle broke out is because the students threatened students and told students that, if they went to class, that they would be prevented from going to classes etc. So, all they did, the security asked them to move. There will be an internal inquiry in the first instance to find out what happened. So, we are reviewing the video footage and we will take it up with the security company.”
