Lesetja Malope

Police in Mankweng have arrested 177 University of Limpopo Turfloop Campus students for public violence and malicious damage to property estimated to be in the region of R1 million. Furthermore the university has decided to suspend the entire Progressive Youth Movement-led Student Representative Council (SRC) structure indefinitely pending internal investigation on the matter.

Mankweng Police Spokesperson W O Malan Nchabeleng said the students were arrested on Monday evening and eight of them were charged with contempt of court as they violated a court order. "The 169 students were given a warning and the case was postponed to 3 December 2010 while the other eight appeared Wednesday in court." he said.

Nchabeleng said despite the situation being back to normal and classes commencing on Tuesday, a lecture hall was burnt later in the evening. No one has been arrested yet for that incident. The students are demanding the axing of two Accounting lecturers, the legalisation of co-inhabitation and squatting, a 100% student allocation of National Student Financial Aid Scheme funds and for hot water.

UL Spokesperson, Mr Kgalema Mohuba said though the management responded to the demands within a day of receiving the memorandum, the students still embarked on a strike on Monday. He said the student had attempted to burn down the institution’s Health Centre and housing administration office. Classes continued normally on Tuesday and Wednesday.