Campus anarchy reigns

For how long can SA tolerate the waves of academic hostage taking? Some colleges have not been able to operate for most of the 2018 academic year. The actions of a small band of anarchists are preventing more than 2,000 students from continuing their studies at one of SA’s largest technical and vocational education and training campuses.

These students are stranded — they literally have nowhere to go to continue their studies. Our politicians must consider how the actions of populist gangs constrain those who wish to strive for a better life. Activism associated with violence, intolerance and hate is not the way to rebuild our economy. Our leaders cannot turn a blind eye to a smoldering powder keg just because they wish to harvest votes at all cost in the coming election.

For every semester that academic institutions are not able to teach, the country as a whole loses the opportunity to recruit new skills into the workplace. There is a high demand for skilled personnel but the country’s talent pool cannot keep up with the demand.

If one considers that only 45% of those who started in grade 1 finish grade 12, and that less than 2% of those who started in grade 1 finish with a post-school qualification (diploma or degree), it is abundantly clear that SA can no longer tolerate the status quo.

It is time to call our leaders to account. Governance to ensure growth should take precedence over populism for the sake of votes.

Peter van Nieuwenhuizen Via e-mail