Chaos and bedlam erupted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Westville campus on Wednesday protesting students blocked the campus roads leading into the university with burning mattresses and attacked a professor with a brick.
Videos of students wearing balaclavas and with T-shirts covering their faces as they faced off with university security personnel circulated on social media.
A UKZN official said members of public order policing unit had been deployed to the campus to restore calm.
The students, protesting against paying 15% of their historical debt fought running battles with private security guards who tried to disperse them with an anti-riot vehicle.
A staff member on campus said they assumed the professor was attacked by protesting students.
However, the staff at the campus are very anxious because they fear the university cannot ensure their safety, according to the staff member.
The staff member said management had said the professor was injured but his car was okay.
“Management is acting like things should continue as normal. There is no directive on whether the campus is open or closed. Instead, staff were advised they should attend campus but use alternative routes because University Road is blocked,” the staff member said.
In a statement on Wednesday, UKZN said the academic programme would continue despite interruptions.
Students reportedly remain aggrieved by issues surrounding historic debt and financial exclusion.
This is a developing story.