Protesting students teargassed at Central Johannesburg College Alex campus
ALEXANDRA - Protesting students at the Central Johannesburg College (CJC) Alexandra campus were teargassed by the police this afternoon to forcefully disperse them.
Protesting students at the Central Johannesburg College Alexandra campus were tear-gassed by the police on 27 January.
More than 70 of the protesting Hair Care and Cosmetology students were taken by the police to Norwood Police Station together with members of the Zone 13 ANC Youth league who had joined the protest in solidarity with the students.
The arrested students have since engaged the services of a lawyer, Dumisani Setati who is currently dealing with the police on the matter. The students were arrested on allegations of public disorder after they had locked the gates of the campus.
They were protesting against a range of grievances they had submitted to management. The students have accused top management of financial irregularities and embezzlement.
Susan Banda, a leader of the Student Representative Council said they had gathered peacefully outside the campus when the police shot teargas at them. “We are demonstrating to highlight our rights which were being violated by management,” said Banda.
After forcefully opening the locked gate, the police tried in vain to encourage other students and lecturers to go onto the campus for their daily activities. However, they told police that they would stand in solidarity with the protesting students.
Some lecturers said the college had been experiencing problems for several years, which they claimed management had failed to adequately address resulting in the current demonstrations. The lecturers said the students were not being updated on government payments of their fees, which included subsidies for transport, accommodation and meals.
The students claim government had fully paid their fees of R13 500 per student for two years, but allege that management was demanding R13 000 from each student, claiming it was to cover for the kit of their Hair Care and Cosmetology course.
