WATCH | One person shot dead in Braamfontein as cops disperse Wits fees protesters

• One person has been shot dead as student protests continue in Johannesburg.
• It is believed that the person who was shot was not part of the protests.
• An eyewitness told News24 what transpired.

One person has been shot dead in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, allegedly by police.

It is believed that the incident occurred on Wednesday morning when police were attempting to disperse Wits students who were protesting about student funding.

Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele was unable to give further details.

READ | Traffic flow back to normal in Empire Road, Joburg, after protests - JMPD

An eyewitness who was waiting at a nearby bus stop spoke to News24 on the scene on condition of anonymity. The eyewitness said some students who were protesting in the Braamfontein CBD were taken to a clinic in De Beer Street. While they were there, the occupants of a nyala in the vicinity shot at the protesters.

A patient who was walking out of the clinic was hit.

Netcare paramedics told News24 that they responded to a shooting on the corner of De Beer and Stiemens Streets in Braamfontien.

"Reports indicate that an adult male had been shot while authorities were busy dispersing protesters," spokesperson Shawn Herbst said. 

The person who was shot was found unresponsive on the pavement. It is believed that he was not part of the protests.

"A Netcare 911 emergency care practitioner assessed the man. However, he showed no signs of life and was sadly declared deceased," Herbst added.

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla confirmed that De Beer Street had been closed off between Siemens and Jorissen streets.

Fihla confirmed that approximately 100 students had converged in the area due to protests.

"We just want to warn motorists to be aware of protests in the Braamfontein and the Auckland Park area," he added urging motorists to use alternative routes.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate's (IPID) spokesperson Ndileka Cola confirmed that the directorate had been notified of the incident and dispatched four investigative officers to probe the allegations, to cordon off the crime scene as well as to conduct the investigations by locating the person with the video footage of the incident and identifying eye witnesses.

Wits students are protesting about the non-registration of students who have debt. The university was expected to release a statement about the incident.