Zuma’s varsity bonanza
President promises R4.6bn package to stem student revolt Sparrow march hits Scottburgh
THE ANC is committing an extra R4.6 billion in university funding to poor students, as the party attempts to stem a revolt that started last year over high fees.
With universities set to resume next month, it is anticipated that the #FeesMustFall rebellion of mainly working class and poor students, could gain momentum in this election year.
This has pushed the ruling party to “reprioritise” spending in favour of higher education despite the worst economic slowdown since the end of apartheid.
The announcement was made by President Jacob Zuma as he presented the annual January 8 statement of the ANC yesterday.
Zuma described the protest by the students as reminiscent of the 1976 uprising, and announced measures envisaged to ease the burden on poor students.
He said the government had raised the R2.6bn shortfall created by the decision to implement the zero percent fee increase for this year. An additional R2bn would be added to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding to ensure students still owing fees were not prevented from registering for this academic year, bringing the total amount of additional funding of R4.6bn.
The widespread protests across universities, arguably one of the biggest public movement actions in the post-democratic era, put the spotlight on the inequalities that exist in the higher education sector, and the country in general.
Zuma described the additional funding as an indication of the ANC government’s response to the needs of poor students. According to Zuma, these funds were in addition to the budget already allocated to the NSFAS for the 2016/2017 financial year.
“This is on top of money already allocated to post-school education and these loans will go a long way towards supporting financially needy and academically deserving students,” said Zuma.
In a move that could be interpreted as the party and the govern- ment pre-empting what may be the recurrence of widespread protests at university when the academic programme starts, Zuma cautioned against the violent nature of some protests.
He further called on universities and the private sector to contribute to finding solutions to the “high cost of post-school education”, and urged students to focus on their studies.
“While it is the right of everyone to protest peacefully, the disruption of university programmes, the destruction of property in some cases, and the violent behaviour witnessed was unwarranted, not progressive and not democratic.
“The ANC and the people of South Africa deplore these acts that undermine the legitimacy of the students’ campaign.”
It is unclear how far the commitments will go to appease the #FeesMustFall movement and various student formations, which have maintained that the demand for a zero percent increase is part of the bigger demand for free education.
The demand for free education, advocated in successive ANC resolutions, is difficult for the ANC.
This was probably emphasised in comments made by ANC secretarygeneral Gwede Mantashe this week, who said no-fee education must be understood as an imperative specifically for the poor.
Giving an indication on Friday that the January 8 statement would give emphasis to the issue of education, Mantashe sought to give an explanation of what the ANC meant free education. He insisted that by free education, the party meant that free schooling for those who could not at all afford to pay.
Those who had the means to pay for education would have to pay for themselves to free up more money for the poor.
“We cannot expect the child of a cabinet minister not to pay for education, and others who are able to pay. By ensuring we enable a poor family to educate its children and become graduates, you are able to move them into the middle class.
“If I can afford it, and I apply for NSFAS funding, I am actually stealing from the poor,” said Mantashe. PEOPLE will descend on Scottburgh tomorrow when Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa will be lead a march against racism.
This week has seen people hurling insults and expressing hatred and anger towards one another on social media, after a post by Scottburgh estate agent Penny Sparrow, in which she called black beachgoers “monkeys”, went viral.
The march will start at 10.30am from Mpambinyoni Bridge, below the Blue Marlin Hotel, to the Magistrate’s Court in Scott Street, where a memorandum will be handed to the chief magistrate.
Some business owners in town have planned to close during the march because they fear it may turn violent. One person who is nervous is Sparrow’s former boss at Jawitz Properties, Avanti Low.
“I fear for my life and for my family because people don’t believe me when I tell them Penny doesn’t work for us, she left in November. They call me and send me threatening messages. Someone sent me a message that a bullet was ready for my head. I reported the matter to the police and no arrest has been made so far.
“I am very angry with Penny because she has gone into hiding and I am left on my own to deal with (this) when I have nothing to do with what she said,” said Low.
Director of the Port Shepstone Human Rights Centre, Selvan Chetty, who will be part of the march, is calling on all church leaders to dedicate 5 minutes of prayer time over the next three Sundays to pray for the country.