Students at North West University’s Mahikeng campus. Picture: SOWETAN
Students at North West University’s Mahikeng campus. Picture: SOWETAN

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NORTH West University (NWU) has suspended access among its three campuses, saying on Friday that despite being inundated with requests, it would be unable to accommodate students from its indefinitely closed Mafikeng campus, at its other campuses.

NWU has halted operations at its Mafikeng campus following violence on Wednesday, which resulted in cars and two buildings being torched. The campus may be closed for up to three months, with the institution saying it would give students a month’s notice of reopening.

Amid requests for study at the Vaal and Potchefstroom campuses, there have also been calls on social media to "occupy Pukke", with the institution staying on Friday that the restricted access was a result of security concerns.

NWU extends across two provinces — Gauteng and the North West — the result of a 2004 merger between two universities: the former University of North West, with a primarily black student base, and Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, predominantly white.

The protests on Tuesday followed disruptions to an inauguration of a new student representative council (SRC). The institution dissolved the most recent SRC, to uphold its obligations in terms of allowing management and registration to proceed.

The institution also announced on Thursday it had suspended the former SRC president Benz Mabengwane for a period of three years, for assault of a student, disrupting registration and bringing the institution into disrepute.

Mr Mabengwane said on Friday he was likely to appeal against the proceedings, and was consulting the legalities of such an appeal. In the interim he was not leaving, he said. "I will never leave management to get away with what they are doing," he said.

There was also other leadership to continue pressing demands, he said. "They must understand they are dealing with a different kind of animal," said Mr Mabengwane.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has been closed since Tuesday after a brawl erupted at a rugby match. The institution is engaging with students with an eye to reopening on Monday, spokeswoman Lacea Loader said on Friday.

The situation on campus was stable on Friday, with a significant university security and South African Police Service presence, she said. Police spokeswoman Wendy Nkabi said 21 students had been arrested on Thursday, and were expected to appear in court on Friday on charges of contravening a court interdict brought by the institution.

The University of Pretoria remains shut this week, while other institutions hit by disruption — but still open — include the University of Cape Town and the University of Western Cape.

The renewed violence has led to a political back-and-forth between the Economic Freedom Fighters and other political groups.

Both the Presidency and the Department of Higher Education and Training have appealed for calm and engagement by students, while university vice-chancellors in a joint statement on Thursday denounced the involvement of external parties.

"It appears that these violent acts are being planned and committed by groups and individuals with a singular intent — to deliberately disrupt and destabilise our universities through intimidation and violence," the statement read.