Three Univen students arrested as campus protests turn violent

Police in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, are monitoring protests at the University of Venda (Univen) after student demonstrations over governance issues turned violent, with three arrested for public violence and traffic offences. Univen students started striking on Sunday night, 3 May, calling for immediate attention to address issues with academic support, governance and service delivery. There is also a video of a student using a dustbin to avoid being hit by rubber bullets.

CHAOS ERUPTS AS STUDENTS PROTEST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VENDATensions flared at the University of Venda as students staged a protest, causing major disruptions on campus.pic.twitter.com/nYKXvp40H2 The police said students allegedly blocked roads leading into Univen premises and vandalised some road signs. The university suspended classes on Tuesday as a result of the protests. On the same day, students delivered a memorandum of demands to the university’s management.

On Wednesday and Thursday, staff members who felt threatened or unsafe were also encouraged to work on Thursday and Friday as management monitored developments. “The safety and well-being of all staff and students remain our highest priority. We urge everyone to exercise caution and remain vigilant during the period,” Univen said in a statement.

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Public order policing (POP) members were deployed to monitor the situation and maintain public order. “The university further notes that the police, acting through their own processes and initiatives, entered the campus and effected the arrest of two students. The reasons for these arrests are yet to be established,” the university said on Wednesday.

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