Fees report: Zuma’s latest excuse

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma has promised to release the Fees Commission report soon after his fiscal committee and the inter-ministerial task team on the funding of higher education have helped him go through it.

Zuma was addressing the National Council of Provinces yesterday, when he said he was aware there was anxiety in the country over the release of the report on higher education.

The Heher Commission completed its work in August and handed the report to Zuma.

Zuma has not made it public, but the Heher report allegedly suggests that South Africa could not afford free education.

“I am aware of the anxiety regarding the funding of higher education. The inter-ministerial committee responsible for higher education funding, chaired by the Minister in the Presidency (Jeff Radebe), working with the presidential fiscal committee, are assisting me in processing the report of the Heher Commission. I will be making an announcement soon,” said Zuma.

The report is being awaited to hear whether there will be any university fee increases next year.

Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba did not make any allocation on higher education during his recent mid-term budget, saying they were waiting for Zuma’s response.

But MPs in the National Assembly were adamant there should be free higher education and that the report Zuma received in August should be made public.

Zuma established the commission in January 2016 after waves of protests at universities calling for free education.

“We ask that the report of the Heher Commission be released,” higher education portfolio committee chairperson Connie September said.

The National Freedom Party’s Nhlanhla Khubisa said the long delay in the release of the report would cause uncertainty to university fee structures next year.

“The NFP repeats its call for the president to release the contents of the commission’s report as a matter of urgency,” Khubisa said.

He said time was of the essence and institutions of higher learning needed to prepare for the 2018 intake.

“If the report is not released soon, we will be faced with chaos at the start of next academic year, with massive disruptions and widespread discontent,” Khubisa said.

The EFF’s Hlengiwe Hlophe said free quality education should be implemented immediately. She said funds earmarked for the nuclear deal, money stolen by the Guptas and bailouts for state-owned entities should rather be spent on free higher education.

“Taxpayers’ money must be used for the current and future benefit of South Africans, not on Tata kaDuduzane (referring to Zuma’s son) and to get him rich,” Hlophe pointed out.