Blade Nzimande, another shining example of what government ineptitude looks like.
It’s true that he is stuck between a rock and a hard place, because to make university education free would be crippling to many (if not all) of the top tertiary institutions around the country.
It’s also true that his handling of the #FeesMustFall movement has been nothing short of diabolical, and it’s tough to think of another minister who is so out of touch with the issues that fall under his jurisdiction.
A little on today’s announcement from IOL:
Universities are to be allowed the decide on their on fee increases for the 2017 academic year.
However, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said the increase had to be transparent, reasonable and linked to inflation. “It must not not go beyond 8%,” he told journalists in Pretoria.
There is some leeway for those hailing from lower income households who don’t qualify for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme though:
“To ensure that such inflation-linked fees adjustments on the 2015 fees baseline are affordable to financially needy students, government is committed to finding the resources to support children of all poor, working and middle class families – those with a household income of up to R600 000 per annum – with subsidy funding to cover the gap between the 2015 fee and the adjusted 2017 fee at their institution,” said Nzimande.
He said this will be done for fee increments up to eight percent.
“This will in effect mean that all NSFAS qualifying students as well as the so-called ‘missing middle’ – that is students whose families earn above the NSFAS threshold but who are unable to support their children to access to higher education, will experience no fee increase in 2017.
Sorry Blade, we’d all be far more understanding if the government you form part of doesn’t piss money down the tube at every opportunity.
So how’s that latest announcement being greeted at Wits? Warning – it ain’t all hugs:
We’re being man-handled by our fathers in our institutions. This has to stop now #FeesMustFall2016 @WitsSRC pic.twitter.com/q1o8zJiHXb
— Karabo M. Thema (@Karabo_Thema) September 19, 2016
Whilst scenes are less violent at UCT, Jameson Hall is currently packed with students. So far SRC candidates addressing the crowd have said that they reject the 8% proposal made by Blade, which has been greeted with applause.
This one is far from over.
