LIVE: Govt committing an extra R6.9bn to university education
2016-01-11 11:38
Get the latest as students protest over university fees as registration gets going at tertiary institutions across the country.
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Nzimande says that all the students' demands are being dealt with.
Firefighters at Unisa's Sunnyside campus have put out the fires that were started by protesters, reports News24's Karabo Ngoepe.
Over and above the R10bn already committed to higher education through NSFAS, government is pledging another R6.9bn.
Nzimande: More than 212 000 students will enter the university system this year.
Nzimande also encourages potential students to apply to TVET colleges.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande is now giving a media briefing on tertiary education access for new students.
He says that in 2016, public universities will provide access to approximately 212 472 new entrants.
Unisa students have shut down the administrative building at the Sunnyside Campus Picture: Supplied.
Witnesses have taken to social media claiming that shots were fired as university fee protests continued. One stun grenade was fired about an hour ago to get workers and students to leave, but they have regrouped and are basically not leaving, Mpho, an Economic Freedom Fighters spokesperson at Unisa told News24 reporter Thulani Gqirana.
Wits has closed registration for the day as some students protested over their poorer counterparts being unable to register.
The #FeesMustFall movement will be making a return in 2016 when it
occupies the Wits University Solomon House on Monday, the first day of
registration, the Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) has said.
In a statement, the SRC said January 2016 saw students confronted with “a similar problem that we faced a year ago”.
“Thousands of young people do not have access to institutions of higher
learning despite their academic capabilities in the most challenging
circumstances!”
The statement added that the SRC spent the last weeks of last year
and the first of this year fully engaged in assisting students.
“One
academic and financial exclusion is one too many, and we know that
academic exclusions are often linked to financial issues because there
is a campus for the rich and a campus for the poor.
"Thus this system is
designed to systematically exclude the black child. We have seen many
students who have had horrific experiences and will ensure that these
students are given the adequate support that they deserve to succeed.”
According
to the SRC, it raised R4.4m to assist students but said despite the
campaign to raise money, “no amount of fundraising can solve the higher
education crisis”.
