Mmusi Maiane said on Tuesday that Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande “must fall“.
The leader of the Democratic Alliance‚ speaking during a debate on higher education in Parliament on Tuesday‚ began by saying that “South Africa’s young people are facing a crisis of opportunity”.
Referring to the 1976 student uprising‚ and to Nzimande’s comment that students must fall‚ he said the apartheid system was “a system that also sought to see students fall”.
“The struggle for education continues four decades after the Soweto Uprising. The ANC government has failed young people‚” he said.
He accused President Zuma and Minister Nzimande of sitting “in silence in this very House while students protested outside the doors”.
“This is the greatest injustice of our democratic era. An ANC government that has not prioritised opportunities for our young and remains silent while our campuses burn.”
He said the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was able to fund only about half of those who qualify for the scheme.
“The crisis we face was caused by an Executive that failed to act. The President did not act. Minister Nzimande did not act. And now we face the consequences. In truth‚ Blade must fall.
“The DA will therefore be fighting to amend the medium term budget in Parliament in order to force the ANC to reprioritise and reallocate non-essential expenditure in favour of opportunities for the young.”
He proposed using money set aside for the BRICS bank‚ for foreign missions and VIP protection for education instead.
Blade must fall‚ says Maimane
The leader of the Democratic Alliance‚ speaking during a debate on higher education in Parliament on Tuesday‚ began by saying that “South Africa’s young people are facing a crisis of opportunity”.
Referring to the 1976 student uprising‚ and to Nzimande’s comment that students must fall‚ he said the apartheid system was “a system that also sought to see students fall”.
“The struggle for education continues four decades after the Soweto Uprising. The ANC government has failed young people‚” he said.
He accused President Zuma and Minister Nzimande of sitting “in silence in this very House while students protested outside the doors”.
“This is the greatest injustice of our democratic era. An ANC government that has not prioritised opportunities for our young and remains silent while our campuses burn.”
He said the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was able to fund only about half of those who qualify for the scheme.
“The crisis we face was caused by an Executive that failed to act. The President did not act. Minister Nzimande did not act. And now we face the consequences. In truth‚ Blade must fall.
“The DA will therefore be fighting to amend the medium term budget in Parliament in order to force the ANC to reprioritise and reallocate non-essential expenditure in favour of opportunities for the young.”
He proposed using money set aside for the BRICS bank‚ for foreign missions and VIP protection for education instead.
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