Noah Chivuta and Marcos de Jesus netted for the Students, with the Urban Wrriors’ goals coming via a brace by Russel Mwafulirwa and further strikes by Bryce Moon, Terror Fanteni and an own goal by Neil Winstanley. BidVest Wits also had Wilson Shendzelani and Almiro Lobo sent off.
The match got off to flying start when the visitors were awarded a penalty in the fifth minute after striker Dale Studzinski tangled with Ajax defender Eduardo Ferreira, with Chivuta calmly slotting the ball past Hans Vonk, who was yellow carded for arguing with the referee.
The hosts should have pulled level eight minutes later when Franklyn Cale sent in a superb cross, but striker Fanteni missed a clear chance.
However, Craig Rosslee’s men found themselves level a minute later when Mwafulirwa headed a good cross from Brett Evans.
The Students were reduced to 10 men in the 20th minute after Shendzelani received his second yellow card of the game following a foul on Cale.
Matters got worse for the visitors in the 25th minute, when Ajax took the lead as Moon found the back of the net from a Cale cross.
The hosts were awarded a penalty two minutes before the break when Lobo fouled Evans inside the area, with Lobo receiving his second yellow card of the game, although the referee failed to send him off.
Mwafulirwa then missed his spot-kick and play continued, only for the fourth official to alert the referee that he had awarded Lobo his second yellow card, and the visiting defender was subsequently red-carded and handed his marching orders.
The match remained 2-1 at the break, with the Wits heading into the dressing room with just nine men as the referee finished the half brandishing a total of five yellow cards and two reds.
Roger De Sa’s men almost levelled matters three minutes after the restart, but Vonk made a good save from Chivuta’s free-kick.
The hosts extended their lead in the 50th minute when they launched a quick counter-attack, which culminated in visiting defender Neil Winstanley heading Makhanyiseli Siwahla’s cross into his own net to hand Ajax a 3-1 lead.
Mwafulirwa made it 4-1 eight minutes later when he tapped home from close range following a good cross by Fanteni.
The Malawian striker thought he had completed his hat-trick in the 62nd minute when his overhead kick found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on Winstanley.
Ajax made it 5-1 in the 83rd minute when Cale surged down the left flank before finding Siwahla, who beat two defenders to set-up Fanteni with a simple tap-in.
BidVest Wits pulled one back in the final minute of the game when De Jesus scored from inside the area following a free-kick Chivuta.
