Those who
believe that working in a library is terribly boring are sadly mistaken. We
have many exciting and even dangerous moments. Case in point: the recent
student protests on the UKZN Pietermaritzburg (PMB) campus.
Students
began protesting from around the 11 August 2016. Every day (and night) seemed
to bring something new with people being assaulted with knives, vehicles being
damaged and set alight, burning of stuff across campus and its surrounding
areas. The air was filled with the noise of sirens piercing the air and the
sound of students singing their protest songs. Something new unfolded every
day. The uncertainty was unsettling, so unlike a library environment.
On Wednesday
17th August 2016 students were yet again protesting outside on the
lawns close to the library. As per usual our doors and gates remained opened
until such time as the Risk Management Services section or Library management
gave the command to close the library doors and lock the library gates. All
library users are asked to evacuate the building “for their own safety”. Around 10:30am students apparently tried to
disrupt lectures at one of the lecture venues. We were told that some students
were then arrested by the POP (Public Order Policing). Watching from the
windows, staff could see that this angered the students who retaliated by
throwing objects at POP. The crowd was quite large and angry, militant and
frustrated.
Then, a loud
bang, and a sudden bright flash of light (stun grenades). Staff watching this
were like a Nyala caught in the headlights. We were just stunned. Stuck in the
moment. Unable to move or utter a word. One staff member was reported to have
had heart palpitations. We were all just so shocked, everything happened so
fast. The protesting students dispersed
so fast it was unreal. As they run this way and that way, library staff were
heard to say, “I hope the students don’t go and damage our motor vehicles in
anger”.
Come Tuesday
4 October and the protests have not abated. Confused, stressed and traumatised
PMB staff attended a meeting organised by the various staff unions with the
person in charge of the PMB campus, Prof Jaganyi. Some students were allowed to
address the meeting. One of the statements the students made was that they
could no longer guarantee the safety of staff as the protesting students were
frustrated and seemingly uncontrollable.
Library
staff returned to the library, having just settled down we heard three or four
loud bangs. Chaos erupted in the building. Petrified students came screaming
down the stairs from all floors trying to get out the building as quickly as
possible. Mayhem reigned. Staff were terrified. Evacuation procedures flew out
the window. Had the threat of violence made just a few minutes ago now been
implemented? Firecrackers had been set off in the building. The building was
evacuated and the bomb squad was called to investigate. Hours later the
building was declared safe. Traumatised staff and students returned to the Library.
The
aftermath?
As a library
staff member I feel like a sitting duck. Like the abandoned baby Nyala that has
lost its mother, vulnerable and easy prey, just waiting for something bad to
happen. In this volatile situation it is so unnerving. You have no guarantee of
safety or the safety of your property, especially your motor vehicle. The
stress and trauma we experience is unbelievable. One of my colleagues had
nightmares after witnessing the harsh realities of safety and security
personnel taking action on campus to restore law and order. Staff were
literally shaking after these experiences. This situation is also aggravating existing
medical conditions, and leading to new medical complications. In all this,
staff are expected to work as normal in an abnormal situation. We are advised
that we may take our leave if we feel unsafe. I need our normal order and continuity,
and cannot wait for our quiet and peaceful days to return.
Renee
Damonse
Members of the SAP keep an eye out for any
protests under the clock tower of Old Main Building at UKZN on Monday. (Ian
Carbutt)
It is a very sad situation for staff, parents and those students who are not part of the protesters.
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