Three people injured during protest at eThekwini college campus
The protest held outside the college’s Asherville campus on Thursday morning was over a range of issues related to the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Thekwini College students protested over issues including NSFAS-related concerns on 18 April 2024. Picture: Screengrab/ Nhlanhla Mabaso / Eyewitness News
DURBAN - Two Thekwini TVET College employees and one student have been injured during a student protest on Thursday.
The protest held outside the college’s Asherville Campus was over a range of issues related to the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The demonstration turned violent.
Students claim one of them was shot by security guards deployed at the campus.
However, the institution refuted the claim, suggesting rather that the students instead injured two staff members.
A group of students - some wearing political party regalia burnt rubble outside the campus.
They were demanding that their NSFAS issues such as delayed payments be addressed.
Singing and chanting outside campus as students demand to the institution does something about their concerns. @_NMabaso pic.twitter.com/PkFD6IsSdP
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) April 18, 2024
Student leader Buntu Faku said their protest turned sour.
“When we were coming here we came with Thina Mvimbi, who was here to graduate, he was studying at the college doing electric engineering, he was shot by the security.”
When asked about this, the college’s principal Nkosinathi Mchunu had this to say: “The issue of the student shot, I am yet to find the details because for me I haven’t heard anything of someone who was shot. I don’t want to be careless and say no one was shot.”
Meanwhile, South African Police Service cops including metro police and private security have been deployed to the institution for safety purposes.