No fees ‘not feasible’

FREE education was not feasible and protesting students were misguided if they thought free-for-all studying was possible.

So said struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni in an exclusive interview.

Most government officials and ANC leaders have opted to be cautious, not openly criticising the protesters in the Fees Must Fall movement.

They have only said that while they understood or sympathised with the students’ fight for free education, they were against the violence accompanying the protests. Mlangeni was, however, candid in his assessment.

“I don’t know of any country where there is absolutely free education,” he said. “My son, Sello, is an electrical engineer and he was educated in Denmark. Denmark is a welfare state; you get sort-of free education. Free in the sense that you don’t pay for it – but in an interim form.

“The taxes are very, very high. The taxes you pay help to pay for your school fees, your university fees, your medical treatment. It appears as if it’s free, but it’s not free because the taxes are very, very high. But the people of Denmark are used to it; they like that system.”

Mlangeni said he backed Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande’s stance that the government could not pay for students whose parents could afford fees.

“Why should we pay for them? They are capable of paying their fees. The minister says the government is prepared to help students who cannot afford (fees). I am for that myself.”

Last month, Nzimande said universities could increase fees next year but not by more than 8%. He said the government would assist households with an income of up to R600 000 a year with subsidy funding to cover the gap between the 2015 fees and adjusted 2017 fees.

Mlangeni said he was disturbed by the destruction that had accompanied the protests.

“What I don’t like … is the destruction of people’s property. That I will condemn at any time. We made a law – it’s in the constitution – that people should be free to protest against anything, but the protests must be peaceful.”

Asked if protests were partly caused by the government creating expectations, he said: “It’s a misunderstanding.”