Cabinet urges police to exercise restraint at protests and never use live ammunition

The Cabinet on Thursday urged the police to exercise restraint while ensuring public order during protests and never to use live ammunition.

This comes after a 35-year-old man was shot and killed during student protests at Wits University on Wednesday over financial execution.

Mthokozisi Ntumba was leaving a clinic in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, when he was shot with rubber bullets, allegedly by police who were firing at a group of protesting students.

Speaking at a media briefing on the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni sent the government’s condolences to Ntumba’s family and friends. She said the Cabinet was saddened by his death.

“The Cabinet urges the police to exercise restraint while ensuring public order during protests and never to use live ammunition,” Ntshavheni said.

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The Cabinet also welcomed the investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) into the circumstances of Ntumba’s death.

Ntshavheni said the Cabinet received a briefing from Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Blade Nzimande on the funding shortfall faced by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. She said the Cabinet had approved additional funding for the scheme to resolve its challenges.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges of the scheme. Some of these being the extended academic year and more students qualifying for the fund due to parents having lost their jobs,” Ntshavheni said.

“The Cabinet has directed that further work must be done to find a more sustainable approach to funding students for their tertiary education. The Cabinet remains committed to ensuring that all deserving students are not excluded due to the lack of funding.”

On the country’s Covid-19 lockdown, Ntshavheni said the Cabinet had approved an extension of the National State of Disaster to 15 April 2021.

“This is done in terms of Section 27(5) (C) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act 57 of 2002). The public are urged to continue adhering to all Covid-19 health measures and restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus,” she said.

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