NPO offers legal aid to protesting students

Allegations of intimidation and rape by police officers emerged on Tuesday, after six cars and a building were set alight on UKZN’s Westville Campus.

Access To Justice Founder and head mediator Sheena Jonker believes there is a need to mobilise lawyers and observers to assist students involved in the protests on campus following the Fees Must Fall and Rhodes Must Fall campaigns. 

“The need has grown since last year so we have formalised a section of Access To Justice that works solely for students. It’s not just for dispute resolution and legal resources, we have set up networks that can help mobilise trauma counselling and help de-escalate violent situation as well,” she said.

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Access To Justice for Students is also currently assisting 17 students from the University of Johannesburg who have been suspended for alleged involvement in the burning of the auditorium in May this year.

Jonker says the organisation wants to ensure that justice is served.

“We believe that the protests are resulting in unjust suspensions. There is a lot of undue and unfair processes taking place at universities. We need to mobilise legal support to help us look at these processes and make sure they are constitutionally sound and are on par with the universities' constitutions as well,” she said.

To contact Access to Justice, students can email [email protected]