Wits University latest shooting: Student allegedly shot during protest
A student has allegedly been shot in the leg in Wits University protests this afternoon ENCA reported in breaking news on its Twitter feed.
ENCA Tweeted @ENCA tweeted: “A student has been shot and wounded in Wits student protests. Students are calling for a National Shutdown of all public universities.
SAPS spokesperson, Vish Naidoo, said the police had “taken note of a video and reports depicting that a female was ‘shot’ during protests in Braamfontein today.
“The SAPS can report that none of its members deployed in Braamfontien had fired any shots during the said protests. However, in an effort to disperse volatile crowds, only a smoke grenade was used in one incident and water cannons in others,” Naidoo said.
“This matter has not been officially reported to the SAPS making it difficult to ascertain the nature of the student’s injuries as well as the circumstances under which the injuries were sustained. Police are looking forward to interviewing the student as well as obtaining the medical report regarding this matter,” he said.
News 24 journalist @Kayleen Morgan @ietskaylo Tweeted that students had made their way to the Hillbrow police station after a number of students were arrested earlier. She said the students had entered the Hillbrow police station “in song”.
She also tweeted the below video:
She had earlier tweeted that Wits University students had been tear gassed in Braamfontein.
“A student has been shot on the leg. We’ve been asked not to show the face of the student,” she tweeted.
She said police had earlier used a water cannon to disperse students who were approaching the M1.
The latest incident follows the killing of Kempton Park man Mthokozisi Ntumba who was shot during protests outside Wits University last Wednesday. Students had been protesting about registration and were calling for all students to be allowed to register with the university regardless of whether the they still had debt to repay to the institution.
Four police officers have been arrested in connection with last week’s shooting. Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson, Ndileka Cola, said the four suspects are expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Wits University said in a said in a statement on Monday that representatives from the university’s senior executive team had met with a delegation from the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) on Friday evening to discus the students demands.
The University said that a Universities South Africa (USAf) meeting with the 26 vice-chancellors of public universities had been scheduled for Monday to discuss some of the issues.
“We will communicate the outcomes of this meeting to our various constituencies thereafter,” the university said.
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