Today the number of students that will appear in the Grahamstown Magistrate's court tomorrow increased to eleven after another student was arrested in the Admin Building today.
Today the number of students that will appear in the Grahamstown Magistrate's court tomorrow increased to eleven after another student was arrested in the Admin Building today.
The students this morning mobilised others around the campus and later the support staff also joined the protest. They met at the NEHAWU offices in Prince Alfred street and the support staff declared their support of the students.
They marched with the students down to the Admin Building in an attempt to meet with the Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sizwe Mabizela. The VC allegedly called a few students delegates to come inside his office to meet with him.
However, the students went in to the Admin Building in numbers in an attempt to meet with the VC. They checked in the Council Chambers and discovered that Mabizela was in fact not there.
They broke drinking water glasses in the Chambers and after that police immediately entered the building heavily armed. Mabizela came out of his office and calmed down the situation and talked to the students and police.
While Mabizela was still busy talking to the angry students, another one came in with police and asked Mabizela to ask the police why they were arresting him.
"Dr. Mabizela please could you ask the police why they are arresting me please? I was coming in as one of the delegates you asked for. Please talk to them Dr. Mabizela," said the student.
But that failed as the police said they were doing their job and took him out of the Admin building. They went on to the police van and put him there.
The students surrounded Mabizela and asked him to intervene in the situation. They said they will go to the police station with Mabizela so that he could ask the police why their colleague was being arrested.
The students protest went out of the campus singing with Mabizela among them. When they got near Good Shepard School, the police took Mabizela and said he would go with them on their vehicles.
Mabizela asked the police to allow the students to follow even if that was not a lawful protest. The students sang songs but did not disrupt traffic while on their way to the police station.
At the police station Mabizela went inside to meet with the police and Basil Williams, the lawyer that represent the students.
In the afternoon Mabizela and Williams came back to address the students outside the police station. Williams said the student was arrested today because he was arrested before and has now broken the conditions of his bail
"The best option for him is to appear in court tomorrow together with the other 10 students that were arrested yesterday. I spoke to all of the arrested students now and they said I must do what I think is best for them to be released," said Williams.
Mabizela said he wanted to sit down in a meeting with the students so that they can identify the problems.
"We need to identify the issues and address them. We need to work together on this and find a solution. What happened yesterday was that the police said the situation was volatile and they wanted to clear that.
Mabizela was not happy when the students called him E-Wallet Blesser. Since they usually get money through e-wallet when the kitchen staff workers are also protesting they said Mabizela should the same this time and give them money by e-wallet.
They said he is e-wallet blesser. The students said they would meet again this evening and plan how to approach their meeting with Mabizela.
FOR A SUMMARY OF LAST NIGHT'S EVENTS:
http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/temperature-rises-rhodes-campus-18-10-2016
