politics in south africa
#FeesMustFall battle is far from over
By Denga Radzilani
 |
| Picture imported from : www.bbc.co.za |
The minister Nzimande emphasise
that student must stop misinterpreting the Freedom Charter as they was it didn’t
state that free education to all in higher education. He also said that student
who affords to pay the fees must pay and after his announcement at WITS
University responded by protesting even though they were division between the
students. Things get out of hand on Wednesday morning at WITS main campus in Braamfontein
when the angry students who were marching start to be violence and threw stones
to police. It was chaos and things get out of hands when police responded to
their violent protest.
Many students get injured
when the police shot a stun grenade and rubber bullet to protesters who were
blocking the station street entrance to Jorrisen Street. They were caps, bags
and shoes that were left in streets as student were running away from police
who were shooting them. No matter how bad the situation was but some of the
students didn’t give up as they continuing protesting in a bad situation. Some
of the students were arrested and taken to Hillbrow police station. The lectures and other academic activities
like access to library are suspended for this week.
Wits is not the only
University that is protesting for #FeesMustFall as university of Cape Town and
University of Kwazulu Natal are also protesting for fee increase in 2017. In University of Cape Town students entre in
campus and disrupt the lecture. A large group of students effectively prevent
any access to the campus. Eyewitness online on Wednesday reported that student
used boulders, tree stumps, rubble and canoes to barricade the access
route. The university was forced to
cancel lectures a, tutorials and access of library since Tuesday for further
notice as the strike continues.
In university of Kwazulu Natal the students
March on Wednesday towards the university main campus after ten and then
marched to the legislature offices. The students hand over memorandum to reject
the Minister Nzimande announcement because they want free education. The
student representative Bonginkosi Khanyi said that it was a warning and when
they come back, they will go inside. The student has been striking and burning
some of the buildings in the campus before Blade announced the fee increase in
2016 .Some of the student where arrested during the protests.
The
Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande blamed the protests on a “small
band of students” that were intent on disrupting the academic programme. The
minister told Radio 702 that he had “lots of lot of encouragement” from the section of our people, the lower
middle class ….the missing middle who
stood to benefit from government’s stance and whom appreciated the “gesture”
that government was there to assist “all those who cannot afford to pay
university institution.”
link of the video of university of Wits student striking: https://youtu.be/Hg0f_FCDEmI
Comments
Post a Comment