Protesting university students now want matric pupils to join their strike.

SPELL CHECK: University of Cape Town students march on the Rondebosch police station to demand the release of fellow students arrested earlier in the day, following a continuation of the counrtywide protests against tuition fee increases Image by: David Harrison
SPELL CHECK: University of Cape Town students march on the Rondebosch police station to demand the release of fellow students arrested earlier in the day, following a continuation of the counrtywide protests against tuition fee increases Image by: David Harrison
The call follows the students' rejection of the government's proposed 6% cap on fee increases for next year.

Wits University, University of Cape Town, Rhodes and Stellenbosch suspended classes yesterday. Other universities are expected to join the protests today.

Wits SRC's outgoing president, Mcebo Dlamini, yesterday said the students were lobbying the Congress of SA Students to mobilise Grade 12 pupils to join their protest as they, too, would be affected next year.

"Why is Cosas still holding those matriculants in class? Cosas must shut down . Until that, the government will never take us seriously," Dlamini said.

Acting Cosas president Kagiso Kgabo said his organisation would not join the protest, at least for now.

"We're fully behind what our alliance partner, Sasco, is doing. But we cannot engage in the strike because it will affect examinations. We cannot afford to postpone exams as it is a crucial stage for matriculants," said Kgabo.

"We need to sit down and engage with national executive committee to come up with a resolute solution to this problem, failing which, we will consider lobbying our students to join the strike."

Department of Basic Education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said the department was not expecting disruptions of schooling and examinations, which start on Monday.

Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and university management yesterday agreed on the fee increase cap, which students have rejected. They demand a 0% hike.

"Zero means zero; there is no other way. We want free quality education. We're still calling for no fee increment.This 6% nonsense is evil to say the least," said Wits EFF chairman Vuyani Pambo.

Nzimande also faced criticism from within his own ranks. ANC Youth League president Collen Maine has blamed him for the crisis.

"We need an indication from him as a minister whether he can clearly render issues of higher education or not. If he cannot he must say that to the president and then the president must assist students of this country by placing somebody who will do that."

But political analyst Professor Tinyiko Maluleke said the government's decision to cap university fees at 6% was a step in the right direction.

"It has never happened before that government would step in and tell universities not to go beyond a certain percentage," he said.

Maluleke said free tertiary education was still an ideal that would require a lot of groundwork before it could be realised.

"We don't have the economy that can fund free education. The government's under-funding of higher education is another factor."

He said the ANCYL's targeting of Nzimande was misplaced.

More than 2000 UCT students, staff members and workers took to the streets yesterday in an unprecedented show of unity against fee increases, the outsourcing of workers and arrest of 23 protesters early yesterday morning.

At one stage the protest was led by mainly white students, who acted as a human shield for the rest of the marchers.

At Cape Peninsula University of Technology all classes were cancelled as students joined the #FeesMustFall protests.

They barricaded some entrances and started a fire at the entrance to the main campus.

Students have vowed to shut down the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Zululand and Mangosuthu University of Technology today.

"We're shutting down everything. We are tired of these lies from the Department of Higher Education and vice-chancellors. We want to show them who has power now," SA Students Congress provincial secretary Phinda Mofokeng said yesterday.

  • A survey has found that students not only feel the cost of tertiary education is too high but that the government's economic policies will not create sufficient growth to create employment for graduates.

Students from Wits, UCT, Rhodes and Stellenbosch were surveyed for the 2015 PPS Student Confidence Index. Additional reporting by Nashira Davids

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