Pro-Palestine activists set up an encampment known as the “Liberated Zone” on the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) campus in Johannesburg, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from Israel-linked companies. The university supported a ceasefire but resisted calls to sever ties with Israel. Similar protests were held at the University of Cape Town (UCT), calling for financial and academic boycotts of Israel. South African universities have been urged to take a stronger stance on the Palestinian cause by government officials.