UJ head ‘deeply sorry’ for security’s behaviour

Vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg Ihron Rensburg has strongly condemned attacks on students and journalists.

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Johannesburg - Vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg Professor Ihron Rensburg has strongly condemned attacks on students and journalists on its campuses.

Rensburg met with media on Thursday morning and explained that the private security had totally overstepped their mark.

“We deeply regret their actions. They have no authority to leave the campus gate.Given that we've had these terrible incidents, we must fix them. I'm deeply sorry for what happened,” he said.

“There is no focusing on journalists or targeting of students,” he said.

Rensburg said the head of UJ security was meeting with the security company and a report was being compiled based on the information.

The vice-chancellor said that there was private security on campus because they needed to secure the university for the 99 percent of students who wanted to continue with academic activities amid the protests. “Without the private security we would not be able to contain the situation... the university would be shut down,” he said.

Rensburg added that they had reviewed their previous decision to bar media from entering the campus adding that it was not in the public interest to do so.

He said the media was allowed on campus as long as they were escorted by security “for your own safety”.

On Wednesday night several journalists and students were pepper-sprayed and beaten outside UJ's Doornfontein Campus by private security guards.

Some journalists were told to surrender, get down on their knees and were hit in the face and pepper-sprayed by private security.

Individual students within a large group were beaten to the ground and at one point during the night at least five private security guards converged on a student who was later hospitalised.

Several students were seen being beaten at different points during the evening.

Police then fired rubber bullets to disperse the students adding that they were trying to do so for the students' own safety to stop the altercations between .

A journalist was also injured after rocks were thrown earlier in the day.

Several journalists were also threatened outside the Auckland Park Campus by private security on Wednesday. “We will pepper-spray you if you don't leave.

“If you don't leave we won't be responsible for what we do to you,” one private security guard said.

The founder of Media for Justice, Sipho Singiswa, was also assaulted on Wednesday night by private security members while filming the clashes.

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The Star