Protesting University of Witwatersrand (Wits) students on Tuesday failed to hand over a memorandum of demands to Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib because management was in a meeting.

“Friday students will be at the national treasury to present their models. Cut costs for university, and how to fund free education itself,” said Wits student and former Student Representative Council president Mcebo Dlamini before the students dispersed.

The university remained closed but students warned that they may seek a court interdict to prevent management from closing down residents.

Earlier tension was high at the Wits main campus in Braamfontein as protesting students prepared to hand over a memorandum of demands to Habib.

However, it was thought that Habib was not at the campus but attending the meeting where Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande, was meeting with the National Board of Convocations and University Alumni in Pretoria.

According to one of #FeesMustFall leaders at Wits, Busisiwe Seabe, from the Economic Freedom Fighters Student Command, they were still sorting out the logistics of who would receive the memorandum of demands, but were insisting on only handing over the memorandum to Habib.

Wits had earlier announced that it would hold a referendum next Monday for students to decide whether to resume the academic calendar or suspend activities for the rest of the year.

“We don’t trust the voting process,” said Seabe on the issue of the referendum.

She also said that the university should rather host a student assembly at the Great Hall on Thursday where students and parents would be able to comment.

A Wits university worker had reportedly died after inhaling fumes from a fire extinguisher which was released by protesting students last week.