S.Africa: Zuma blasts students' protest property damage

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG

Recent violent student protests against tuition hikes in South Africa have caused an estimated 600 million rand ($44 million) in damage to university property, President Jacob Zuma said Monday.

Addressing delegates at the opening of a forum on the crisis in universities, Zuma condemned the destruction of university property, saying this could destroy the country’s institutions.

“The wanton destruction of university property that we have witnessed are shocking criminal acts,” he said.

He said now the government will have to spend millions of dollars to repair infrastructure damaged by the protests instead of addressing educational funding challenges.

Zuma said South African universities are among the most respected in the world, but if the destruction does not stop then their future will be compromised.

“We have directed police to arrest those who are using the genuine grievances of students to commit serious crimes on campuses,” he said.

The South African leader said education funding can never justify violence and destruction, including the loss of human life and injury seen at some universities.

8 pct hike unclear

Student protests that began two weeks ago after an announcement that there would be tuition hikes for the 2017 academic year turned violent, with students burning and destroying university property.

Zuma reiterated that his government is committed to doing everything possible to progressively make higher education more affordable for all, and to be fee-free for the poor and working class.

He said his government will inject millions of dollars next academic year to support poor university students who make up about 75 percent of the total number of students in the country.

He did not, however, mention if the 8 percent tuition fee hike for non-poor students for 2017 would be maintained or not.

Stakeholders gathered for the summit are expected to explore both short- and long-term solutions to end the ongoing protests.

Last year, South Africa witnessed similar protests, forcing the government to avoid a tuition hike for 2016.