Aftermath of fire that gutted TV/common room at Malherbe residence at UKZN Pietermaritzburg. Picture: Sherlissa Peters Aftermath of fire that gutted TV/common room at Malherbe residence at UKZN Pietermaritzburg. Picture: Sherlissa Peters
Durban - Hundreds of students had to be evacuated after fires swept through a residence and damage was done to a computer hub at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus early on Wednesday.
UKZN spokesman, Lesiba Seshoka, said a lounge at the Malherbe residence had been set alight and two students arrested.
Authorities suspect a petrol bomb started the fire in the lounge, causing students to flee, while the door to the lab in the DSLT science laboratory and lecture hall building was also set alight.
Firefighters were called in to contain the blaze, which started at about 2am.
But they could not gain access because the gates had been locked.
Police spokeswoman, Brigadier Sally de Beer, confirmed two students had been arrested and charged with arson on Wednesday.
There was a strong police presence at the campus mid-morning and police said the atmosphere was tense as pockets of students gathered.
The room was apparently gutted. Journalists were able to catch a glimpse of the broken and blackened windows from a distance.
Hundreds of students had to be evacuated from the residence as smoke filled the night sky.
No injuries were reported.
The door at the DSLT building was set alight and damaged, but firefighters managed to contain the blaze.
Seshoka said that this was the second incident in Pietermaritzburg where a lounge suite had been torched. The first had been at the William O’Brien residence.
“We condemn the burning in the strongest manner possible and we appeal to law enforcement to strengthen their hand,” Seshoka said.
He said students had to be woken up while the fires were being put out.
A film laboratory on the Pietermaritzburg campus, valued at about R500 000, was also torched on Monday night. It housed recording equipment and computers.
Students planning to attend lectures today at the DSLT building were turned away by campus and private security.
Students expressed despair at the situation.
Some told the Daily News they were “fed up” with the violent protests and wanted to continue with lectures to prepare for exams.
Siya Ndlovu, a second-year BSc student, said that the protests had lost meaning after students began destroying university property. “No one respects the cause anymore. This has turned into a violent nightmare for all the students who actually just want to graduate this year. These protests are not helping anybody,” Ndlovu said.
Meanwhile, another student who overheard Ndlovu expressing his disdain, started to verbally abuse him and the journalist, screaming that “violence is the only way”.
“When we get free education you must go ask your honky and c***** friends for money,” the angry student said as he was being ushered away by security.
Meanwhile, three security guards were injured and buildings were set alight on two Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) campuses early today, allegedly by protesting students.
CPUT WhatsApp groups this morning reported that one of the guards had died but this could not be confirmed at time of publication.
The Short Courses Centre at the Cape Town campus and Control Centre at the Bellville Campus were badly damaged by fires.
Much of the Cape Town campus building is now a shell of charred walls surrounded by ash and shards of glass.
The roof of one of the rooms has totally collapsed.
At the Bellville campus, the control centre near the entrance is in a similar condition.
Three security staff suffered cuts and smoke inhalation during this attack.
Three petrol bombs were found at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) this morning and police were at the scene with sniffer dogs.
A student at Wits said a backpack containing three beer bottles filled with petrol was found at the Raikes Gate on Wits west campus and was handed over to police.
There were reports of failed attempts to set buildings alight on campus, where toilets in many buildings had been flooded.
On Tuesday a false alarm resulted in students being evacuated after reports surfaced that a bomb had been found on campus - it later turned out to be a fire cracker.
University management said lectures were continuing on Wednesday.
Daily News