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Walter Sisulu University has taken the drastic step of sending all students home as the wage strike by employees enters its fifth week.
Students who are fed up at having missed classes during this time held a protest on Monday and according to University spokesperson, Angela Church, several were injured in East London when police took action.
She says Walter Sisulu University administrator, professor Lourens van Staden, instructed that all students vacate university premises, residences and rented accommodation with immediate effect.
Chuch says students must be off all university premises at the four campuses by 12 noon on Wednesday (28/08/2013).
"The strike has been continuing for five weeks now and students are becoming extremely frustrated. There's been a number of demonstrations, both in East London and Mthatha, and last evening (Monday night) some of our students were injured by police rubber bullets. So, we really cannot expose our students to an unsafe situation," Church said.
Meanwhile, Professor van Staden says "management continues to explore alternative solutions to the ongoing labour strike."
"The decision to send students home does not mean that the academic year is lost. All efforts will be made to put alternative arrangements in place in order to complete this second semester. Students will be recalled by official communique as soon as it is possible to do so," he said.
