Roundup: Protest turns violent as S. African president meets students

A protest outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria turned violent on Friday as President Jacob Zuma was meeting with student leaders and university vice chancellors in a bid to defuse tension over tuition fee hikes.

Riot police fired stun grenades and water cannons to disperse students trying to break into the Union Buildings, the seat of the government.

There were scuffles between police and students. But there were no immediate reports of injuries.

A large contingent of riot police force was at scene to control the situation.

Students burned fires on the ground and demanded to see Zuma which was expected to address the nation later in the day.

Meanwhile, the "FeesMustFall" protests continued across the country, affecting 18 universities.

Most protests went on peacefully, but there were reports of sporadic incidents of violence, during which police fired rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades to disperse the students.

University fees are determined by universities independently of the government, due to their legal status which makes these institutions autonomous, presidential spokesperson Bongani Majola said prior to Zuma's meeting with the stakeholders.

Zuma would use the meeting to gain a first-hand account from students about issues that are of concern to them which affect their capacity to learn and do well at the institutions, said Majola.

The president would also listen to the leadership of the universities on their views on the matters, said Majola.

Majorla said Zuma also welcomed the gathering of students at the seat of government, the Union Buildings.

Widespread protests have been going on for days across the country, triggered by tuition fee hikes ranging from 10 to 50 percent for the 2016 school year. The fee hikes came as a result of reduction in education funding by the government.

At a meeting on Tuesday between Minister of Higher Education and Training Blake Nzimande and univerity vice chancellors and student leaders, an agreement was reached that tuition fee hikes would be capped at six percent. Protesting students, howeve, have rejected the proposal, demanding a zero-percent increase.

The six-percent increase proposal has angered students, given the financial difficulties faced by students from poor households, the Presidency said.

The students vowed to continue their protest until universities succumb to their demands. Endit