Riot police pushed back students affiliated with the South African Student Congress (SASCO) who wanted to protest during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address on Thursday (February 11).

The students are demanding that government reappropriate the nine billion rands towards education that they had used to save the national airline, South African Airways. They are also demanding that Ramaphosa fire his finance minister, Tito Mboweni.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, the SONA was a subdued affair with no military parade or flyover. This is President Ramaphosa’s first SONA since the COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa in March 2020.

Police managed to push the students back without resorting to stun grenades, water cannons, rubber bullets or tear gas.

Riot police pushed back students affiliated with the South African Student Congress (SASCO) who wanted to protest during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address.

The students are demanding that government reappropriate the nine billion rands towards education that they had used to save the national airline, South African Airways. They are also demanding that Ramaphosa fire his finance minister, Tito Mboweni.

Because of Covid 19 regulations the SONA was a subdued affair with no military parade or flyover. This is president Ramaphosa’s first SONA since the Covid 10 pandemic hit South Africa in March 2020.

Police managed to push the students back with only shield and needing to use the usual crowd control methods of firing stun grenades, water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas.