The African National Congress (ANC) on Monday said it was disturbed by the interruption of the academic programme during the #FeesMustFall protests, calling on protesters to respect the rights of those students who wished to resume their studies.
There were reported disturbances to the resumption of classes at some universities on Monday, including the University of Cape Town.
In a statement issued by ANC secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, the party said its National Executive Committee (NEC) had over the weekend deliberated extensively on the ongoing protests in higher education.
“The NEC is disturbed by the interruption of the academic programme that has resulted from the wanton destruction of property, intimidation and violence,” Mantashe said.
“The recent announcement by Blade Nzimande, the minister of Higher Education, was welcomed as a significant step toward realising fee-free higher education for poor students.”
Universities across the country have been plunged into a state of paralysis since the announcement by Nzimande that tertiary institutions could hike their fees for 2017, but by not more than eight percent.
Government also committed to paying the fee increases for next year on behalf of all poor, working class and “missing middle” families – those with a household income of up to R600,000 per annum.
The move would require the government to fork out an additional R2,5 billion to cover the resultant shortfall of income at universities.
Mantashe said this was an unprecedented progressive intervention by the ANC government as only those who can afford to pay would pay the increased fees.
“The NEC agreed that, given that over 75 percent of students in universities and colleges will benefit, the government has moved a long way toward achieving fee-free higher education for many that are in need of assistance,” Mantashe said.
“We continue to support the principle that those who can afford to pay for higher education, must continue to do so in line with the principles of solidarity and cross-subsidisation.”
Mantashe also called on students to return to lectures and continue with the academic programme, saying that the violence and destruction of university infrastructure accompanying some of the current protests cannot be justified.
The University of Witwatersrand management resolved that lectures resume on Tuesday after students overwhelmingly voted in support in an online poll last week.
“Destruction of property means public funds will have to be diverted from funding poor students to refurbishing infrastructure,” Mantashe said.
“We cannot afford to lose more lives or continue to disrupt the academic programme. We call on all to respect the rights of those students who wish to resume their studies and to identify and isolate those who perpetrate acts of violence and destroy public property.”
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