With more conflict over university fees on the horizon, Rapport says not a single student has been successfully prosecuted for the damages of more than R460m caused to universities in the first round of #FeesMustFall protests. Although a handful of universities started disciplinary proceedings, no criminal prosecution is under way for arsonists and no prosecutions for other crimes such as malicious damage to property have been concluded.

In the most expensive incident – arson at the North West University’s Mahikeng campus amounting to R151m damages – not a single internal or criminal process has been started, spokesperson Willie du Plessis confirmed. At the University of Johannesburg where an auditorium was burnt down (at a cost of R100m), 17 students were identified by the police and the Hawks and now face disciplinary steps, spokesperson Kaamini Reddy says.

Yet, none of the alleged arsonists has been arrested by the authorities, who reportedly know who they are. At the University of KZN where classes were suspended again last week, nobody has been disciplined or arrested for damages amounting to R82m.

At Wits, a current student and two former students were identified for attempting to burn down the Law Library, spokesperson Shirona Patel says. The police, however, haven’t made any arrests. The University of the Free State appointed a panel to investigate widespread damage at that university, but after several months none of the culprits has been been identified.

Full report in Rapport (subscription needed)