1 Person Killed in Wits Protests After Police Use Rubber Bullets
- Wits University students resumed their protest against the institution on Wednesday, 10 March
- Various reports have revealed that an adult male was killed while police were trying to disperse the crowd of students
- Police allegedly opened fire without warning with rubber bullets in an attempt to scatter the protesting students
PAY ATTENTION: Join Briefly News' Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
One person has lost their life during the Wits University protests. An unknown person was allegedly killed in a crossfire after police shot rubber bullets at protesting students. It is unclear whether the man was a student or not.
The students are reportedly protesting against financial exclusion. The university said that if it accepts students who have historical debt, it will become financially unsustainable. It seems as though law enforcement had opened fire with rubber bullets without prior warning.
Reports say that the unknown man suffered a chest wound from a rubber bullet which resulted in his death.
Source: Getty Images
A report by eNCA confirmed the death of an adult male and the arrival of paramedics on scene. News24 reported that the unknown man was killed on Wednesday morning while police attempted to disperse the crowd of protesting students. The man is believed to have not been partaking in the protests.
EWN reported that students have accused the university of ignoring those with historical debt, adding that there are more than 6 000 students who have been excluded over this issue.
Wits University released a statement condemning any violence and called on people to keep calm. The university confirmed that a 35-year-old man had died but his cause of death is still unknown. Wits have also made health and counselling services available to students and members of the community who may need assistance.
The South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) released a statement condemning the shooting of female student journalists from Wits University by members of the South African Police Services (SAPS) while they were recording the students' protests.
SANEF revealed that two people were told to run and leave the scene only to be shot by the same police officer. The students were reporting for two different university publications.
In other news, Briefly.co.za recently reported that Durban descended into chaos after attacks on foreign nationals. Three street vendors' goods were looted and torched with two men needing to be hospitalised with life-threatening injuries.
It is unclear what sparked the unrest but a group of men attacked street vendors. The police have not made any arrests at this time.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said that the police had deployed unites to stabilise the area and keep the situation under control. The community of foreign nationals living in Durban have once before been targeted with attacks.
Shops belonging to foreign nationals in the Durban CBD were looted and even set alight in some cases, prompting all other foreign-owned shops to close in a bid to avoid violence and any other unforeseen issues.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!
Source: Briefly News
