Police have nabbed this man who was caught on camera smashing a cop van’s window.
The incident took place last week during violent #FeesMustFall protests in the Cape Town city centre last Wednesday.
The 33-year-old was arrested after this photograph went viral on social media, and he was traced to his workplace in Observatory on Friday.
Police revealed that the man is a cleaner at a university — not a student.
Chaos broke out in the CBD last week when protesters clashed with police following a march to Parliament where Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was delivering his Medium Term budget speech.
Protesters stoned cops and vehicles, looted shops and burnt dirtbins in the street.
Acting National Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khomotso Phahlane, says: “A 33-year-old male, who was clearly shown in photographs which went viral on social media, was arrested [on Friday] at his place of work in Observatory and will appear in court [today] facing a charge of malicious damage to property,” he said.
Phahlane said earlier on Friday, at 4am, a petrol bomb had been thrown into the finance building at CPUT Bellville campus.
CPUT have cancelled all lectures for the rest of the year, and urged students who will not be writing exams to stay at home.
At UWC, face-to-face classes have also been suspended but are continuing online.
But UWC says it is now struggling with the issue of safety of students who live in residences, after receiving a tip-off that non-students are occupying these residences.
“On several occasions we have attempted to continue with operations and bring in service providers but staff have been intimidated and told to leave residences,” UWC said in a statement.
“Furthermore... staff vehicles at CPUT were set alight, stoned, [we have] received threats that the same would happen to UWC staff who refuse to comply with the forced shutdown.”
At UCT, exams are scheduled to start next Monday with security measures being taken to ensure that there are no disruptions.
The university says they will have mini-semesters next year starting from January 3 to 20 with classes beginning in March.