NYDA threatens those opposing free education

The National Youth Development Agency warned yesterday that it would “viciously attack” those against the provision of free education in South Africa.

NYDA national chairman Sifiso Mtsweni said he believed the state could provide free education by changing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) loans to grants.

“Free education is not a new thing in this country, because the NSFAS repayment was around 4% annually anyway. The argument is now to have these loans removed and made into grants. This will enable up to 90% of this country’s youth to pursue higher education,” he told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.

Mtsweni said the agency had urged President Jacob Zuma to reject the Heher Commission report and introduce free education in the country, “and we are happy that the president has listened”.

“Anybody who continues to undermine this great achievement either hates this country or its youth.

“We caution them that the youth of this country won’t smile forever while an onslaught is launched on them.

“We have seen thousands of students in 2015 under the #Fees MustFall campaign and every year; those who continue to undermine our call for free education will be visited by the same scenes very soon.

“We will viciously attack those who continue to undermine and question the provision of free education in this country; we declare that here for everybody to know.”

But in what could be seen as a swipe at EFF leader Julius Malema – who has been calling on students to flock to universities to take advantage of free education – Mtsweni cautioned against “populist and reckless calls by some opposition leaders that encourage students to barge into universities without due process”.

“If you want to study, first apply, and if you get accepted, and your family’s income falls within the threshold, you qualify for free education,” he said.

Mtsweni said they would be at all universities to ensure registration ran smoothly. He also called on would-be students to visit their offices and use their Wi-Fi to apply to study.

Meanwhile, the South African Students’ Congress (Sasco) wants a new law that will force the private sector to contribute towards education in the country.

National general secretary Lwando Majiza, speaking at the University of Fort Hare’s East London campus on Friday, said Zuma’s free education announcement for poor students was a victory for students.

Majiza’s call comes amid fierce public debate as to how free education would be funded.

“We hope funding will be sustainable. Government can enact legislation that will force the private sector to fund education in the country and assist the missing middle,” he said.

Majiza said professionals who earned at a certain threshold, which they had not yet calculated, could be taxed to fund education without touching the working class. “The Public Investment Corporation can also contribute some of the money it makes towards funding education. We can also use unclaimed pensions and channel them to fund the free education model,” he said.

Majiza said Sasco supported walk-in registration. “We appeal to students to stay calm and we call for an extension of the registration period. We understand some pupils had no money to apply while others had no access to the internet to do applications,” he said. — nonsindisoq@dispatch.co.za / zolilem@tisoblackstar.co.za