NWU PUTS SAFETY FIRST DURING NATIONWIDE PROTEST

Abygail Smit  
@Abysmit06 

 

Following the nationwide protest, set to take place on 30 June 2026, the North-West University (NWU) has taken precautionary measures to ensure student and staff safety. 

 

The nationwide protest, organised by civic movements March and March as well as other interest groups, is in line with ongoing calls for undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa. The protest has prompted police to enhance operation readiness. According to Briefly.co.za, an online news publication, the protest organisers have warned the public of an escalation in the campaign. March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese Zuma stated that their campaign would not end on 30 June if the government fails to respond to their demands. 

 

Following the distress surrounding the protest, the NWU has released a statement to put students and staff at ease. According to the statement from Prof. Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka, the NWU has been working with NWU protection services and law enforcement agencies in both the Northwest province and Gauteng province to ensure that the necessary measures are put in place to protect all the NWU staff and students. Furthermore, the NWU has rescheduled the second opportunity examinations to take place on Monday, 13 July, instead of 30 June, and classes will resume on 14 July. 

 

Louis Jacobs has provided insight surrounding the statement to Wapad. Jacobs states that the statement explains the precautionary measures taken to merely protect staff and students from travelling while the protests are taking place. “We don’t want students travelling the morning of their examinations and being stuck in traffic or closed-off roads from the protest, which leads to them missing their examinations.” NWU staff will continue with their work as a normal working day but will log in from their homes, where traffic or obstructions due to the protest will be avoided. 

 

Jacobs has explained that the precautionary methods are just to protect the students and staff commuting and that there is no serious threat surrounding the staff or allegations against the NWU having legal foreign staff or students. According to Jacobs, there also haven’t been any talks or rumours of protests taking place on campus. 

 

It is clear from the NWU and Jacobs’ statement that the NWU has taken serious consideration of their students’ and staff’s safety, and that the safety measures put in place for 30 June are to protect travellers during the protest.

 

Photo of NWU announcement (Source: NWU website).

 

Photo of previous March & March protests (Source: groundup.org.za).

 

Edited by Isabel Burgers