Education forum halted briefly
JOHANNESBURG: University students brought the Higher Education Stakeholders Summit to a temporary halt yesterday, ordering the return of President Jacob Zuma, whom they wanted to address.
Zuma delivered a keynote address at the summit in Kempton Park before he left to attend to other matters at Luthuli House.
The summit is a one-day gathering to find an immediate solution to the higher education crisis while the Fees Commission continues its investigation into the feasibility of free higher education in the country.
Zuma had pleaded with the Department of Higher Education and university students to find long-lasting solutions to the fee increment issues that have brought academic programmes across the country to a grinding halt.
Led by SA Union of Students (SAUS) secretarygeneral Sthembiso Ndlovu, the students interrupted the fees forum’s proceedings after briefly debating whether or not to boycott the meeting.
“We want the president to come back. And if the president doesn’t come back, our SRCs are saying they don’t see the necessity of bishops being here who do not have the money to fund free education.
“And we have a problem because we’re sitting in the same house with reactionary vice-chancellors who continue to close down universities…
“We also want Treasury to be able to make a commitment today to tell us how much is there for free education.”
SAUS president Avela Mjajubana accused Zuma and the government of “arrogance”, saying they were prioritising party issues when the “country and universities are burning”.
Outgoing Wits University Student Representative Council president Nompendulo Mkhatshwa said students were the ones who bore the brunt of “exorbitant university education fees. Students are tired of protesting. We’ve been protesting from UKZN for six weeks”.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande interjected the students’ submissions, accusing them of “grandstanding because there is media”. – ANA