Sanco called on university students to isolate and marginalise forces that were determined to destabilise higher education. This followed the discovery of three petrol bombs at the University of the Witwatersrand's (Wits) Braamfontein campus.

“Those behind barbaric acts of violence and the senseless destruction of education infrastructure investments must be unmasked and put behind bars,” Sanco national spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu, said.

Mahlangu said it was increasingly becoming impossible to believe “there is no third party that has hijacked genuine issues affecting students and that does not want solutions and/or an end to the current higher education impasse”.

He appealed to community leaders, experienced negotiators, and professionals to assist in the mediation of the crisis.

“We must all wake up to the reality that the future of our youth is at stake and pull together to defeat forces of darkness that are at play.”

Retired judges, human rights lawyers, including selfless progressive individuals with experience in conflict resolution, as well as religious leaders could not watch the destruction of higher education from a distance without contributing to meaningful solutions, Mahlangu said.

ANA