GRAHAMSTOWN - RHODES STUDENTS BEGIN EXAMS WITHOUT INCIDENT

Relative calm descended on Rhodes University on Thursday‚ a day after turbulent protests.

University spokeswoman Catherine Deiner said exams had gone off peacefully.

Four students‚ including Tartius Ningiza‚ appeared in the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court. Ningiza was released on bail of R2000 and the other three R1000 each.

Earlier in the day‚ students had drawn up a petition campaigning for others to choose the option of writing their exams in January.

Rhodes on Wednesday gave students the choice of when to write their final exams in an email which read: “Students will be asked to make a choice by 4pm tomorrow whether they want to write their exams in November or January.”

The petition by the #FeesMustFall movement said the trauma of the past two weeks of violence made the university a place that was not conducive to learning.

“The brutal and pervasive police action meted out to students has destroyed the university as a place of learning.

“Furthermore‚ the new exam arrangements set by the institution leave students without a viable option – write exams now on an occupied‚ unsafe and traumatic campus‚ or write them later without the option of supplementary exams.”

Their attorney‚ Basil Williams‚ said the poll‚ which closed at 12pm‚ was unfair as some students were still in jail.

On Thursday afternoon‚ there had been no news of fresh protests.

VIA - sowetanlive.co.za