UFS spokesperson, Lacea Loader, tells OFM News since Monday, September 16, a group of students embarked on protest action, disrupting classes. Loader says the academic programme was suspended on Tuesday with the intention to have it resume on Wednesday. Things, however, did not go as planned, with protesters continuing to cause chaos on the campus, as confirmed by police.

The disgruntled students are allegedly unhappy with the institution’s reaction to the ongoing search for 21-year-old Amkelani Nhlanhla Thwala, who was studying through the university’s South Campus at the time of his disappearance. Thwala was last seen on Friday 6 September 2019 at around 12:00 pm, he was heading to KwaZulu-Natal from Phuthaditjhaba.

The UFS does not acknowledge allegations made by students that the institution isn’t doing enough to help find Thwala. Loader says in a statement “campus management is in constant engagement with the Institutional Student Representative Council (ISRC) and the Qwaqwa Campus SRC regarding progress in the search for Amkelani”.

Police spokesperson, Mmako Mophiring, told OFM News earlier that both Thwala's brother and mother stated that they spoke to him at around 4pm on the day he was last seen. He informed them that he was in Harrismith and needed money. That was the last time they spoke to him. Mophiring says police are continuing to investigate Thwala’s disappearance and are exploring all avenues.

The UFS will reopen on 30 September for the fourth term.

OFM News