Seventeen vehicles were stoned when about 300 students protested at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology's (CPUT) Bellville campus on Tuesday, Western Cape police said.
Captain FC Van Wyk said when Bellville South police arrived they found the group gathered outside the student centre.
"These students then started to throw stones towards the windows of the engineering building, cars standing [in] the parking lot and the security office," he said.
Seventeen vehicles and several windows of buildings on the campus were damaged.
The Public Order Police also arrived on the campus and the students ran away.
No injuries were reported and nobody was arrested.
The situation was considered "normal" at the campus by late afternoon.
A public violence case was registered for investigation.
Earlier, staff rushed to move their vehicles when the stonings began.
"Staff are visibly shaken, they are traumatised," said a lecturer whose car had a brick thrown at it.
"This whole thing has been an emotional rollercoaster from the days of Fees Must Fall," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He said that several cars were hit, and staff members rushed to get their vehicles off the premises.
(Supplied to News24)
Spokesperson Lauren Kansley said there were sporadic incidents of protest action at the campus.
"We understand this to be linked to residence and campus catering issues," she said.
Kansley said CPUT had a surplus of residence beds so she did not believe it to be a true reflection of the real motivation behind the protests.
Regarding issues around campus catering, a remodelling of the entire food offering service across the campus was underway.
Students were currently being catered for by food trucks.
She said a management committee would meet with student leaders weekly, and more regularly if needed, to avoid student concerns escalating.
The institution, however, remained open and operational.
