Go back to class please, say leaders

THE ruling alliance has called on protesting students to return to class and ensure completion of this year’s academic programme

The #FeesMustFall movement has seen students from the country’s universities disrupting classes, burning property and engaging in running battles with law enforcement officers.

The latter have been heavily criticised for their heavy-handedness in quashing the protests by, among others, firing rubber bullets and tear-gas canisters at unarmed students.

Some student leaders have been arrested.

National officials of the ANC, SACP, Cosatu and Sanco held an alliance political council meeting at the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg on Sunday and Monday, where they discussed, among other things, the municipal election results.

The ruling alliance said they supported the “genuine struggle” for free education for those who couldn’t afford fees.

“Since 1994, South Africa has achieved massive progress towards this goal and in expanding access to both basic and higher education and training.

“The government recently announced that the state will pay fees and fee increases for poor and working class students who qualify for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

“The government will also pay fee increases for 2017 for students who come from families with an income of up to R600 000 a year (the so-called missing middle),” the alliance said in a statement.

President Jacob Zuma has announced a ministerial task team to look into higher education funding.

Universities South Africa said on Sunday the institutions were standing at a “major crossroads”.

The organisation said the current academic year at the country’s 26 universities was at “serious risk of internal collapse due to the ongoing disruptive and destructive activities of a small minority of students. It is fair to say universities today face their most serious crisis in the post-apartheid era”.

The ruling alliance said it appreciated contributions by various sectors towards “achieving stability in institutions of higher education”.

It called on students to return to class.

The country needed professionally and technically qualified people to contribute to its social and economic transformation and development, the alliance added.

Universities face their most serious post-apartheid era crisis