Africa-Press – South-Africa. Parts of the University of Limpopo’s Mankweng campus buildings were torched during a student protest over accommodation allowances on Wednesday.
University spokesperson Johannes Selepe said protesting students pushed the fence down in several places and damaged access gates and some of the buildings.
Police and security guards attempted to prevent the destruction of the university’s property, leading to clashes with protesters, Selepe added.
“Gates were damaged, part of the perimeter fence was brought down and fires affected a small area of the garages next to Gate 2. Other than that, the university remains safe,” he said.
According to Selepe, the protest was sparked by students who live off campus after they did not receive accommodation allowances from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
“Some landlords and students still have not concluded their lease agreements despite numerous requests by the university. The NSFAS policy is that there will be no accommodation allowance if there is no signed lease agreement. We are pleading with all landlords and students to ensure that they conclude their respective activities so that the university can facilitate the speedy resolution of the matter,” Selepe added.
He said the university’s management would have further engagements with the students.
There were no protests on Thursday morning, he said.
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