Campus Announcement: Fire on upper campus, 5 October 2016
5 October 2016
Dear colleagues and students
I regret to inform you that yesterday evening and early this morning protesting students attempted to “reoccupy” the Steve Biko Students’ Union building.
The group of students were prevented from entering and occupying the building at approximately 16:30 yesterday, 4 October 2016. They have been unlawfully occupying the building over the last two weeks. The UCT staff, that provide a number of services to students from the building, were unable to continue work or to enter their offices during this time. The building was secured with new locks and private security were placed at entrances to ensure the group did not reoccupy the building.
The group of protesters then gathered outside the Steve Biko Students’ Union building at around 18:00 and at some point aftermidnight the group increased to about 200 people. They started throwing stones at the security staff and attacking security guards with sticks. They stormed the building breaking doors (level 6) and windows (level 5) of the building.