The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) on Friday condemned the violence during campus protests and urged law enforcement authorities to refrain from using force against protesters.

The organisation reacted to the shooting and injuring of students at the Witwatersrand University (Wits) campus with rubber bullets by police on Thursday.

“We are worried that several other students were treated at [Wits] campus health and wellness centre and one with a dislocated leg. Another student leader Busisiwe Seabe also fainted at the clinic. She was seemingly short of breath from the violent incidents of the day,” the ANCWL said.

“As the ANCWL, we find the use of rubber bullets and teargas on an unarmed group of students appalling. We believe the role of the law enforcement officers is restoring order in Universities, however violent attacks on our children must stop.”

The ANCWL said it respected the right to stage peaceful protest but condemned the violence and destruction of university property by protesters.

Police on Thursday said its watchdog organisation, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) would investigate the shooting incident at Wits, where four students, including student leader Shaeera Kalla were shot at and injured. Kalla said she was shot 13 times in the back while her hands were up, appealing to the police not to shoot.