NATIONAL NEWS - Protesting students from the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Indumiso Campus in Pietermaritzburg barricaded the institution’s main gates with burning rubble this morning, demanding immediate intervention over what they described as unacceptable living conditions in student residences.
The Witness reports that the protest began early this morning, with students chanting slogans and blocking access to the campus, demanding the suspension of lectures and disrupting campus operations.
Students claim they are being forced to live in deteriorating buildings despite paying for accommodation, and say their grievances have been ignored for too long.
Among the issues raised are leaking roofs, non-functional appliances, unreliable Wi-Fi, and an insufficient number of basic facilities, such as stoves and fridges, to cater to the large number of students housed in the residences.
“It’s not just about comfort — it’s about our dignity and safety,” said one protesting student, who asked to remain anonymous.
“We pay a lot of money for accommodation, but the conditions are terrible. Some of us can’t even study properly because the Wi-Fi is unreliable.”
SAPS were at the scene monitoring the situation. The protest remained peaceful, with no reports of violence or arrests.
Student leaders are demanding a meeting with university management. One of them, from the EFF DUT Midlands Branch, said previous attempts to engage the university had been met with resistance.
“We have tried to raise these issues directly by visiting their offices, but we’re either removed by security or threatened with deregistration,” he said.
University officials had not responded to the protest at the time of publishing.
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