[Onthebarricades] Student unrest in Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Uganda

[Andy]

In Nigeria, students at Ahmadu Bello University staged mass protests over 
sharp fee hikes suddenly announced by the vice-chancellor.  After days of 
protests and clashes, and at least one student shot by police, the 
university was shut down.  Students also clashed with police at 
Witswatersrand in South Africa, where police fired rubber bullets to break 
up a student march.  Students are protesting attempts to privatise halls of 
residence and raise rents, and disrupted lectures and tests.  There have 
also been protests over service provision by school students in Zambia and 
Uganda.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710030393.html

Nigeria: ABU Riot - VC Blames Union Leader

Leadership (Abuja)
3 October 2007
Posted to the web 3 October 2007
Babagida Kakaki
Abuja
The authorities of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria yesterday blamed 
last Friday's violent students' demonstration on the actions of the 
President of the Students' Union Government, Alex Mamcheka.
Vice Chancellor, Prof.Shehu Abdullahi alleged at a news conference that the 
release of an information on the proposed increase in school fees by 
Mancheka sparked off the crisis .
According to Abdullahi, the proposed schedule of fees was illegally released 
by the SUG president who is a member of the University Committee on the 
Assessment of Fees and Other Charges, shortly after a meeting of the 
committee.
The vice chancellor further explained that the issue of hike in fees was 
unanimously agreed upon by all the university stakeholders, including the 
officials of the SUG since 2004, leading to the establishment of UCAFOC to 
consider a triennial review of the fees to be paid by both the new and old 
students.
During the violent demonstration, two students were allegedly shot and 
seriously wounded by the police, while many sustained injuries.
According to eye-witnesses, the two students whose identities could not be 
immediately established were hit by stray bullets from shots allegedly fired 
by policemen drafted to stop the rampaging students from taking their 
protests beyond the university campus at Samaru.
The university authorities immediately responded to the crisis by closing 
down the school indefinitely.
Prof Abdullahi however stated that the level of violence exhibited by the 
students during the protest indicated that there was more to the crisis than 
the issue of the proposed increase in fees.
Abdullahi therefore said that the university authorities would soon launch a 
full scale investigation into the causes of the students' violence with a 
view to coming up with appropriate measures to prevent a reoccurence in 
future.
He also said that an assessment of the extent of damage done to the property 
of the university was already being done, while some of the principal 
culprits had already been apprehended.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200709281008.html

Nigeria: Authorities Order Closure of Abu Zaria

Leadership (Abuja)
28 September 2007
Posted to the web 28 September 2007
Danladi Ndayebo
Authorities of the Ahmadu Bello University,Zaria today ordered the closure 
of the institution, following a demonstration by students against alleged 
plan to hike tuition fees from N25,000 to N40,000.
Armed policemen have already been deployed to maintain law and order in the 
institution.

Leadershipnigeria.com reports that Students have started vacating the 
campuses in compliance with the directive issued by the authorities.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200709290056.html

Nigeria: Abu Shut Over Students' Unrest

This Day (Lagos)
29 September 2007
Posted to the web 29 September 2007
George Oji
Kaduna
Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State has been closed down 
indefinitely by the university's management following violent students' 
demonstration over increase in fees.
Properties worth millions of naira, including two vehicles belonging to the 
university's Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi were destroyed by the 
students in the crisis, which began on Thursday night.
It was gathered that the dispute arose over the decision of the management 
of the university to increase fees in the institution, which were opposed by 
the students.
Confirming the closure of the institution, the university's Information and 
Protocol Officer, Bitrus Galmaka said that the decision was to forestall the 
situation from getting out of control.
According to him, "in ABU, students don't pay tuition fees. So the increment 
is on other fees and not tuition. For example, students in Faculty of Arts 
will now pay about N14,000 per session, while science-based students will 
pay a maximum of N20,000 per session. The increase is between three and five 
per cent.
"I have not been able to go into the university campus to assess the 
situation (as at 1pm) and to know the extent of damage. But the closure is 
immediate and indefinite."
Eye witness told THISDAY that the crisis began when some students had gone 
round the university on Thursday night chasing out students who were reading 
in the classes and sacking the security men at the gates before embarking on 
destruction of property belonging to the university.
A member of the committee that reviewed the fees expressed concern over the 
actions of the students, since according to him, the new fee regime was not 
beyond what the students could afford.
He claimed that the student union leadership was part of the negotiation 
over the increment, pointing out that they put up a spirited fight which led 
to the minor increase in fees.
"If you see what they are to pay, it is still far less that what students in 
some secondary school are paying. So, I don't see any reason for the 
tension," the source said.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports have it that about two students had been shot 
by security agents who were drafted to curtail the violence from spreading 
to Samaru community as the rioting students barricaded the Sokoto road which 
passed through the front of the university.
Already, armed mobile policemen and soldiers from Bassawa Barracks had taken 
over security in the area, while students were busy packing out their 
belongings from the campus even as some others remained adamant, insisting 
that they will not leave the campus.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/30092007/news/news7.html

ABU Riot: VC relocates to Kaduna
Hassan Ibrahim,Kaduna - 30.09.2007
As rampaging students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, were given up 
to 12 noon on Saturday to leave the institution or face punitive measures, 
the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Shehu Abdullahi, had since 
relocated to Kaduna for fear of being attacked by the students.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the VC, who was in Abuja when the students 
demonstrated violently, quietly moved his family members to Kaduna.
However, his house, private and official vehicles were vandalized allegedly 
by the students who accused the university authorities of being insensitive 
to their plight.
Similarly, the house and other belongings of the Dean, Student's Affairs of 
the university were damaged beyond repairs allegedly by the students last 
Friday.
The institution, as at Saturday, was heavily guarded by combat ready Mobile 
policemen, who were seen instructing petty traders on the Samaru campus to 
pack their belongings and leave before the 6pm deadline.
Commercial drivers and motorcyclists had a field day as they were seen 
moving students in their hundreds, in and out of Zaria to their various 
destinations.
No official statement was given as at the time of filing this report but 
many parents interviewed ,expressed dismay over the unfortunate incidence 
and called on the government to look into the matter and resolve the issue 
of high tuition fees in the overall interest of Nigerians.

http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=09/29/2007&qrTitle=Police%20kill%20Bayelsa%20student%20in%20ABU%20crisis&qrColumn=NEWS

Police kill Bayelsa student in ABU crisis
. Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
A Bayelsa State indigene was killed in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, 
Kaduna State yesterday following the protest against 100 per cent increment 
in tution fees by the school's authorities.
The student, The Weekend Tide learnt was killed by a stray bullet fired by 
armed mobile policemen in an attempt to scare the students away.
The rioting students in-turn destroyed two cars attached to the office of 
the vice chancellor, Prof Usman Abdulahi.
The Weekend Tide learnt that the heavy traffic jam caused by the student's 
road-block led to the invitation of policemen by the school's officials with 
the intention to chase the student off the road for easy traffic flow.
But the Bayelsa State student was caught in the stampede as he was hit by a 
stray bullet which sources said was not aimed at him.
Nobody could give his real identity as the armed policemen disallowed 
students from coming closer to the spot of the incident.
According to school sources, the authorities are yet to address the issue, 
pending when normalcy returns to the university.

http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20071004005811870C886871

Cops, Wits students clash at protest
    October 04 2007 at 07:11AM
Lee Rondganger, Solly Maphumulo and Shaun Smillie

Police have fired rubber bullets and arrested students during a protest 
march at the University of the Witwatersrand.

SAPS spokesperson Captain Cheryl Engelbrecht said two students were arrested 
after protesters started throwing stones at police and damaging vehicles on 
Wednesday.

"The students were leaders in their 20s. They have been taken to the 
Hillbrow police station."

Wits spokesperson Sharon Patel said it appeared that the two who were 
arrested were the president and deputy president of the student 
representative council (SRC).

Earlier, hundreds of students stormed lecture halls and disrupted lessons in 
protest against apparent plans by management to outsource some of the 
residences and raise the registration fee from R4 500 to R5 500.

In addition, the students are opposed to a study fee increase planned for 
next year that would see some pay up to 18 percent more.

Blowing vuvuzelas and brandishing placards, they ordered students not taking 
part in the protest to join in.

By 10.30am, students who were not part of the protest were milling around 
campus. Others sat under trees, chatting or reading.

Incoming SRC head Themba Masondo said they were still waiting for management 
to meet and discuss the issues they had raised in a memorandum.

An economics student said: "We don't want them to outsource the residences 
because then the majority of students, especially those from previously 
disadvantaged backgrounds, will not be able to afford to stay on campus."

Patel said the SRC's demand for a zero percent increase was unrealistic.

Wits needed to increase the number of beds available for students willing to 
pay their own way, and it had partnered with a Public Investment 
Corporation-led consortium, which was not a private body, she explained.

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Metro/Article.aspx?id=580367

Protest mayhem at Wits Published:Oct 07, 2007

About 500 students disrupted lectures and tests at Wits University this week 
in protest against increases in fees and accommodation for 2008.
Several lectures had to be abandoned after students barged into lecture 
halls and jumped on desks.
When the students blocked Yale Road on campus and refused to disperse, 
police were called. They fired rubber bullets.
Mbali Hlophe, president of the Students' Representative Council (SRC), and 
SRC treasurer-elect Andile Makholwa were arrested and appeared in the 
Hillbrow Magistrate's Court on Thursday. They are out on R1000 bail each.
At a meeting on Thursday, management and students signed an agreement about 
residences, meals, financial support for postgraduate students, and the way 
to deal with grievances about the Dean of Students, Prem Coopoo.
Fees were discussed at Friday's meeting of the university council. - Charles 
Molele

http://www.znbc.co.zm/media/news/viewnews.cgi?category=13&id=1190745952

Pupils run riot
Pupils at Lusaka's Kamwala High School, resorted to violence after they were 
denied transport to go and attend burial of a fellow pupil.
The students took to the streets after management refused to give them one 
of the buses to ferry them to leopards Hill cemetery.
A check by a ZNBC, team at the school found the situation calm and only 
noted stones on the road outside the school.
Efforts to talk to the Deputy Head Teacher proved futile as she was said to 
have left the office upon hearing the presence of reporters at the school.
But police service spokesperson, Bonnie Kapeso said the pupils resorted to 
violence because they were not given adequate transport to accommodate all 
those that wanted to attend the burial.
Mr. Kapeso said only a few attended burial.
He said 29 pupils among them 11 girls and 18 boys have been picked up and 
charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200710031224.html

Uganda: Students Riot Over Lack of GTV

The Monitor (Kampala)
4 October 2007
Posted to the web 3 October 2007
Felix Basiime
Mbarara
SAINT Joseph's Vocational School (Jovoc) has been closed after the students 
held a strike on Tuesday, October 2 because the institution has not 
connected to the new pay television channel GTV.
The new pay TV service provider has rights to broadcast 80 percent of 
English Premier League matches.
Matters came to a head when both Manchester United and Arsenal Champions 
League games could not be telecast simultaneously.
Students rioted, breaking glasses. The school's headmaster,Fr.Bernadict 
Njunwoha when contacted, was in a crucial meeting but confirmed that they 
had sent home all the students.
"They broke only glasses. I am in a meeting so the board will decide when 
the school will reopen