ANC and partners at odds over demonstrations

THE ANC has broken ranks with its alliance partners over conspiracy theories that a third force is behind popular protests waged through social media.

The ANC Youth Leagueled Progressive Youth Alliance last week lashed out at those behind the #FeesMustFall movement, describing them as dark forces that had been trained by the Central Intelligence Agency to effect regime change in the country.

This was after leaders of the #FeesMustFall movement had prevented students from registering at universities around Gauteng, in support of their demands for free education. This has led to some universities employing security personnel to restore order. Other popular hashtags associated with the third-force conspiracy theory include #ZumaMustFall and #OutsourcingMustFall. Yesterday, labour federation Cosatu called on students to “guard against hired revolutionaries” wanting to hijack their struggle to harness their grievances for narrow political gains.

Also yesterday, ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said they could not ascribe third forces to every protest.

“We are a free, democratic country; people have a right to protest. We don’t condemn the right of people to protest because some of the protests raise genuine demands,” he said, speaking to The Star on the sidelines of a media briefing called by the ANC’s subcommittee on education at Luthuli House.

While the #ZumaMustFall hashtag had become a part of a social mobilisation tool, Kodwa bemoaned the campaign, saying it smacked of racism and undermined the country’s democratic values.

An illegal banner reading “Zuma Must Fall” was put up in the Cape Town CBD on Friday, causing a stir on social media. The DA said it had not commissioned it, before ANC supporters removed it on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the ANC’s subcommittee on education called on students to register and start the academic year without disruptions, and said it was never desirable to have a heavy police presence and security companies on university campuses.

Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor said the government had re-prioritised R4.582 billion of state funding in the 2016/2017 financial year to be allocated to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to provide, among others, an additional allocation of R2.039bn to ensure students who are still in the university system this year were supported financially to continue their studies.

“This funding is on top of the R10bn that NSFAS will administer in the 2016 academic year,” she said.

Cosatu warns against ‘hired revolutionaries’