Prayers for resolution of student fees protest
NOMSA* was among the first parents to arrive at inter-faith prayers organised by the Wits Student Representative Council yesterday.
She made the trip from Zola, Soweto, to pray with other parents and students for free education.
Last week students across the country embarked on a #FeesMustFall protest following an announcement that universities can increase fees by up to 8%.
Nomsa knows all too well what it is like not to have money to pay fees. Her 19-year-old son is a second year student at Wits, and he never got funding from the National Student Financial Aid.
“We scrap money together when we have to pay his fees, it’s not easy,” she told Sowetan.
She said the situation had been made even worse since she just lost her job as a general worker in an engineering company.
“Even last year I did not have money to pay his fees but I guess it helped that government said there would be no fee increment and that is why he was able to come back here,” she said.
However, even though Nomsa sympathises with the call students are making, she does not think it is practical to have free education.
“I’m saying that the poor should not pay and those that can afford must pay. I mean there are many students in the country and I don’t think it’s possible to pay for each and every one of them.”
Speaking at the inter-faith prayer session former SRC president at Wits, Mcebo Dlamini, said free education was possible and students would attain it by the end of next week.
“We are here to pray to achieve free education without losing blood, we must march to free education. We want to pray that the leaders of this country must not find peace until they give us free education, they must not sleep at night,” Dlamini said.
Christians, Muslims and Jews pledged their support with the students and also prayed that they be brave, wise and safe as they continue with their protest.
Traditional leaders burnt impepho and called on the ancestors to protect the students and ensure that more blood will not be shed following violent clashes last week.
Wits students have also accused the university of “propaganda” after petrol bombs were found at the institution on Saturday.
Dlamini said the university had resorted to “lying” because it wanted to remove students from residences. “They want to justify why we must go,” he said to loud cheers from students.
Gauteng police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said a case under the Explosives Act was being investigated.
Classes remain suspended at universities across the country as the fees protests continue. * Not her real name