Police used stun grenades to disperse protesting East Cape Midlands College students who disrupted exams at the institution today 16 October.
Police used stun grenades to disperse protesting East Cape Midlands College students who disrupted exams at the institution today 16 October.
The students were continuing with a strike that started two weeks ago for alleged unpaid accommodation funding by the institution.
Student, Lihle Sompani, said some students were injured and had to be rushed d to hospital during what she described as a shoot-out.
"I was lucky that I was inside a car when the police started firing rubber bullets and I saw some (students) with blood and others who were pregnant had to be rushed to hospital for labour.
"This started after a group of students came in to the classes and disrupted exams that were busy going on.
"Management called the police and when they arrived they didn't waste anytime but opened fire," said Sompani.
Explaining the matter, Sompani said she and 10 other students were delegates who were representing students.
They boycotted the exams in support of those who could not write the exams.
She said they stayed outside the institution's gate and did not enter the premises.
The management then called the 11 students parents and reported that they were causing problems and preventing others from writing exams.
"That is when we decided to go in and write the exams. But when other students noticed that we as their representatives had gone in to write, they came in and disrupted the exams.
"We were trying to prove that we are not the problem here but we were in solidarity with those who have been denied opportunity to write," said Sompani.
She said the institution has to pay them money from NSFAS and then they will pay their landlords.
The students said their landlords were now fed up with the promise that the money was coming.
They went to the offices of the DA to seek advice and assistance on the matter.
The Eastcape Midlands College is closed for the rest of the day after police intervened in protests action by students at the St Aidan’s Avenue campus.
Speaking by phone from High Street around midday today, SRC deputy president at Eastcape Midlands College, Siyanda Sanda, said police had chased protesting students off the College campus.
“The students were saying they’re not writing,” Sanda said.
“So they called the police who used teargas and shot at us. Some fell down on the pavement as they were running away.”
At the time of commenting, Sanda said around 30 of them were sitting outside the DA office next to Fashion World in High Street. Others were inside speaking to DA councillor Xolani Madyo, she said.
“But we haven’t resolved anything yet,” she said.
Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said no rubber bullets or teargas were used during that protest.
"It was only stun grenades that was used to disperse a group of students that disrupted exams.
"The was a pregnant student who was pushed by others and was rushed to hospital.
"The situation is stable at the moment and we are monitoring the situation," said Govender.
Attempts to get comment from management failed as the phone was not answered.
