Police allegedly used R5 rifles during TUT students protests
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) says its investigating the events at the Soshanguve Campus of the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) when a student was shot and killed.
Police watchdog Ipid believes R5 rifles with live ammunition were used on Thursday afternoon when violence erupted following claims that the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections were rigged.
Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini says police were called to the campus after a presiding officer was held hostage and assaulted by students.
The students then allegedly barricaded the entrance and attacked the police, pelting their vehicles with stones.
"The police reported that they fired at the ground with R5 rifles and that when they left no one was injured but police vehicles were damaged."
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However, Dlamini says police were later informed that a student had been shot and injured.
" The student died in an ambulance en route to hospital."
A post mortem will be conducted on Friday, while the firearms have been sent for ballistic tests.
The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) expressed their shock at the incident and has called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to intervene.