Student protesters berate university head in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Student protesters berated the vice-chancellor of one of South Africa's top universities on Wednesday, venting their anger over school fees at what was supposed to be a peace-building event.

The tense scene, which eventually eased when Habib left through a side door, reflected the bitter divisions still simmering after weeks of university student protests for free education across South Africa.

While there is widespread support for the idea of free education, the South African government says it can only cover fee increases for poor students next year and has been harshly critical of student protests involving vandalism and stone-throwing.

[...] many students want to study rather than go along with protesters' calls for disruption, and university administrators like Habib seem caught in the middle, trying to get classes back on track while calling for more state investment in education.