Ongoing protest at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) intensified on Friday with students saying that that was the only language the management understood. The protest enters its third day on Friday and student organisations say they are not budging in their demands for the institution to let those with historic debts register. The Economic Freedom Students Command (EFFSC) and the South African Students Congress (Sasco) says they will continue protesting until all their demands are met. The students at the university first took to the streets on Wednesday over lack of accommodation and financial exclusion.

 NOT BACKING DOWN

 Students threatened to gain access to the campus, but they were prevented by private security hired by the university to control the situation. Law enforcements were also on the scene with three nyalas outside campus on standby. Throughout the day, students could be seen dumping rubbish on the streets of Braamfontein while others threw rocks at the private security at the campus. EFFSC Bukisa Boniswa who is the Academic Officer said that they will not allow classes to resume when there are students excluded. "For us as the student's command, we are against the exclusion of students financially. Every student that is financially needy should be allowed to study. They applied and their applications were accepted. When they must register for the Academic year, the institution is coming up with ridiculous demands that most students have to meet," she said.

UNIVERSITY ACCUSED OF BEING ARROGANT

Boniswa further accused the institution management of being arrogant. "The management is arrogant with their demands. They decided to hire bouncers which they are paying R10 000 a day but they don't want to sit down with us and negotiate a way forward for the students who are financially excluded. Like South African leaders, the only language they understand is protest and that is why this is what we are doing right now is to protest. We are exercising our rights," she said.

WITS RESPONSE TO STUDENTS DEMANDS

In a statement on Friday, Wits said the university had committed R150 million for bursaries and scholarships this year. "Last year, Wits administered R1,6 billion in financial aid, scholarships and bursaries which helped over 26,000 students," the institution said in the statement. The students also demand that the university add R30 million more to the Wits Hardship Fund. In response, the university said R28 million has been committed through the Wits Hardship Fund to assist qualifying students to register and to secure emergency accommodation. "To date, 503 students have been assisted. Wits also matched the R6 million raised by the SRC rand for rand = R12 million. In total, there is R40 million available to assist students in need, of which about R36 million has already been allocated," the university said. The students also demanded that Wits register all students who owe R150 000 and below. "Wits cannot agree to this request as it amounts to hundreds of millions of rands, which would make the University unsustainable,".