Between June 9 and 10, 2025, 5 Walter Sisulu University students were arrested during protests on the Nelson Mandela Drive campus. The demonstrations were triggered by the release on bail of a lecturer accused of murdering a student during an earlier protest. Students marched to demand accountability regarding student housing and campus safety. The detained students face charges including arson, public violence, and assault. The Forum for South Africa (FOSA) called for the charges to be dropped, asserting that the students were exercising their rights to protest university failures.
Response
ACAF is troubled by this development. It strongly feels that the arrest and criminal charging of student protesters raise serious concerns about freedom of expression and assembly within academic institutions. Such actions risk deterring student participation in legitimate campus activism and diminish the university’s role as a space for civic engagement and debate. Punitive legal responses to protest stifle dissent and weaken democratic norms on campus. ACAF consequently appeals to the authorities to reason with FOSA and work towards the release of the students. The students are also advised to work within the law in seeking for the resolution of their grievances.
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