Protests mar the re-opening of Witswatersrand University in South Africa

Protests marred the re-opening of Witswatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Protests continue #FeesMustFall2016 #Wits #Fees2017 pic.twitter.com/ZsmrMV9urW

— DiTiro Selepe (@Tiro_1632) October 10, 2016

The protesters hurled rocks at shield-wielding private security guards while police fired rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the crowd at the university campus.

There were #FeesMustFall protests at Wits again, and mlongari, GGuercia and SibekoS got some great photos: https://t.co/0US248wONw

— David Sim (davidsim) October 10, 2016

A university spokeswoman earlier said the university had reopened.

In a subsequent statement, Wits said: “The majority of lectures resumed this morning but were then disrupted by large groups of protesters.” This is the fourth week of protests sparked by a government proposal to raise university tuition fees by up to 8% in 2017.

The protests are said to have spread to a number of other universities in the country.

Last week, South Africa president Jacob Zuma voiced his concern at the protests saying that they have caused about $44 million in property damage and threatened to sabotage the country’s system of higher education.

LIVE BLOG] Bus torched and a priest has been injured at #Wits University in #FeesMustFall protests https://t.co/2EO7Uq6BcC pic.twitter.com/PBT5T30pV1

— Eyewitness News (@ewnupdates) October 10, 2016

Reuters