The situation remained tense on the campus of the University of Venda at the time of our going to press, with police on high alert to monitor the situation. This after protesting students went on the rampage, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
The angry students protested about the alleged non-payment of their NSFAS funds that cater for their necessities, which include food and their other needs. According to information at the paper's disposal, more than 800 students were affected, and this triggered the violent protest.
It all started on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, the students disrupted classes at the local Marude and Thohoyandou Secondary School. At Thohoyandou Secondary School, they forced the learners out and broke some windows. They also barricaded streets with rubble and burning tyres.
Univen is still a no-go area as they have closed the road leading to the campus. Some businesses were forced to close, fearing that they could be attacked.
The police used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the rowdy crowd, who only regrouped again.
Stranded pupils from the affected schools were seen roaming the streets of the Thohoyandou CBD with nothing to do. "We are quite disturbed by what is happening. We have nothing to do with the protest, but students are barring us from attending classes. We must sit here in town waiting for transport that will only come around 16:00. This is very bad for us as we are losing precious school time," said a learner, who preferred anonymity.
Univen spokesperson Mr Takalani Dzaga said they had advised their staff not to report for duty as there was no access to the campus. "We hope NSFAS will soon sort out this problem. As of now, we are assessing the situation and as soon as it is normal, we will resume the academic programme," he said.
By Wednesday, the police confirmed that they had arrested four students for public violence. "We have deployed more members and we are monitoring the situation," said Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe, Limpopo's police spokesperson.