Wits University students on hunger strike over admissions

JOHANNESBURG - A handful of Wits University students with historical debt have gone on a hunger strike, refusing to leave the premises unless they're allowed to register for the new academic year.  

The group of undergraduate and postgraduate students has been camping at the institutions' Student Representative Council (SRC) boardroom since last week Friday due to being financially excluded by Wits.  

The university requires students to have a debt of less than R10,000 or pay 50 percent of what they owe.

The students clashed with campus security on Monday.

The students were forcefully removed for burning incense during a prayer session in the SRC boardroom.

READ: Wits working to ensure students who qualify to continue their studies are registered

This is their fourth day camping in the boardroom with the hopes that the university will answer positively to their request for registration.

Protesting student Siviwe Mafuna said he wants the university to ignore his historic debt and allow him and others to study.

"As you understand we are weak physically we have not been eating for the past four days, to manhandle us is to break our spirit, and the official tried to attack us personally telling us we are not registered."

The university has confirmed that they asked the students to leave, saying the boardroom can only be used by registered students.