The former UFS Student Representative Council (SRC) president, Asive Dlanjwa, vows to even mobilise support from community members to shut down the varsity. Dlanjwa says the university must open its gates to students and postpone the closing date for the registration of senior students.

"We want students to be able to access the campus and be able to register because they do not have data, they do not have devices, they do not have the network across South Africa to be able to register online," Dlanjwa, Free State convener of Sasco, adds.

The SRC president at UFS, Katleho Lechoo, says they are confident that the bail application of the students will be successful.

"We are baffled, we are angry as far as the University of the Free State is concerned. We can confirm that [two] of our students were injured and victimised by the private security that they have deployed, in the process wasting a lot of money by trying to protect the property and the buildings of the university," Lechoo adds.

Students are yet to appear before the court. They were nabbed on Thursday on charges related to the contravention of the Road Traffic Act and Gatherings Act.

Scores of South African Students Congress (SASCO) and EFF Student Command (EFFSC) have gathered in their numbers on Friday to support their peers.

The University spokesperson, Lacea Loader, previously told OFM News that “the executive management is committed to ensuring stability on campus and to the uninterrupted continuation of academic and administrative services and will continue to engage with students to find amicable solutions to matters that are of concern to them. It remains important that the 2021 academic year continues and that it is completed successfully".

OFM News