We are far from another Marikana, acting police commissioner says
Khomotso Phahlane says he is encouraged by police officers’ restraint in dealing with protesting Wits students
Acting police commissioner Lt-Gen Khomotso Phahlane says he is encouraged by the level of restraint police members showed in dealing with protesting #FeesMustFall students at Wits‚ after chaos spilled over into the streets of Braamfontein on Monday.Students have been protesting for weeks since Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande allowed universities to determine fee increases‚ capped at 8%."We are going to do whatever we do within the confines of the law. We are not in control of what people do‚ or what people have planned."We are far from another Marikana. We have called our members to exercise restrain‚" Phahlane told Radio 702 on Tuesday morning.He said he had an aerial view of the protests on Monday and saw students pelting stones at security personnel. "I am encouraged by the level of restraint our members have exercised‚" Phahlane said.However‚ Institute for Security Studies researcher Lizette Lancaster said the campus protests were not a policing issue."I think we are mi...
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