Video: KNUST Katanga, Conti clash leaves scores of students injured

A free-for-all fight between students affiliated to the University Hall (Katanga) and the Unity Hall (Conti) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has left scores of students badly wounded.

The students attacked each other with broken bottles and other weapons, including machetes, on Saturday, July 3, during a screening process for Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.

The event held at the KNUST Great Hall was accompanied by the destruction of property, leading to a suspension of the vetting process.

There were two incidents recorded within the period.

At the beginning of the vetting, members of the two all-male halls marched into the venue to cheer their preferred candidates.

“When the Katangees arrived, there was some confusion between them and the Continentals. One gentleman believed to be part of the management team of an aspirant from Conti was preventing the ‘Katangees’ from entering the Hall. This caused the first chaos between the two sides,” an eyewitness narrated.

The Kantangees had no mercy for the gentleman, and they beat him up mercilessly. He ended up bleeding profusely from broken bottles that cut various parts of his body.

After the incident, there was relative calm, and the vetting process started smoothly.

However, the Electoral Commissioner decided to postpone the vetting after excessive chanting of songs by various groups from the two halls who had converged on the venue.

Several attempts to keep the students calm was unsuccessful, leaving the EC with no other choice but to reschedule for another day.

But the students would have none of that.

It resulted in another round of clashes where the students allegedly used machetes to slash one another.

“The fight broke. It was very bizarre. Someone even threw a machete, which is suspected to have hurt someone. There were knives and other weapons that were used to attack members of the halls involved. I can say there are both minor and major injuries that need urgent medical attention.”

Security personnel were later dispatched to the scene to restore calm.