South Africa: Student-led protests may escalate following death of protester in Johannesburg, March 10 /update 2

Event

Student-led protests are likely to escalate at the University of the Witwatersrand in the Braamfontein area of Johannesburg in the coming hours after a protester's death March 10. Emerging reports indicate that the incident occurred after police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesters. The incident has attracted large crowds to the scene.

Protesters have used burning tires to block roads surrounding the campus, including Jorissen Street and Jan Smuts Avenue. Traffic disruptions have been reported. Traffic officials will likely be deployed to divert traffic. There is an increased security presence in the area. Several protesters were arrested during a similar demonstration March 9. Participants are denouncing the financial exclusion of students who have been unable to pay student debt.

Further protests cannot be discounted; they could overflow onto the adjacent M1 highway if they do occur. Transport disruptions are likely in the vicinity of incidents.

Advice

Monitor local media for updates on the protest action. If possible, avoid the protest as a routine security precaution and to mitigate associated disruptions. Check local traffic conditions for disruptions and allow extra time to reach destinations in the protest area March 10.