Nzimande slams 'unrecognised structures' for violence at universities
Wednesday 24 February 2016 06:45
Wisani Makhubele
Various groups have gone on the rampage on several campuses, damaging property and clashing with other students. (SABC)
Government has slammed the latest wave of violent protests at universities, saying it is clear that fringe elements are trying to destabilise the institutions.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says incidents at Free State University and the Universities of Pretoria and Cape Town prove that a small minority wants to dislodge elected structures.
Various groups have gone on the rampage on several campuses, damaging property and clashing with other students.
Nzimande says there are fringe elements that seem hell bent to exploit every problem as part of seeking to hijack legitimate student concerns for their narrow ends.
He has cautioned universities and the press not to talk to unrecognised structures.
"So we are concerned that in some instance it's fringe organisations that have no standing whatsoever, who are trying to fuel this violence because they have got a particular political agenda to try and destabilise our system."
"That's why also we urge the media to also interact with those structures and not just come with some fizzy organisations that we do not know, claiming to be representing people."
Government says it recognises the urgency of addressing the question of transformation.
On the students' demands for Afrikaans to be scrapped as a medium of instruction at the concerned universities, Nzimande says the Free State and Pretoria Universities have assured government that they're open to discussions.
"They are willing to consider certain changes, such that certain languages are not used as a means of exclusion. We urge that the legitimately elected structures engage with the universities to actually deal with this particular matter."
"As a department we have been concerned ourselves that in some institutions for examples Afrikaans has been used as the language of exclusion in the manner in which it has been applied."
The South African Student Congress (Sasco) says government has for far too long promised to transform higher education, and they are now tired of waiting.
Sasco has, however, appealed to its members to refrain from expressing their concerns through violent means.
Secretary General Thembani Makata says the language issue must be addressed urgently.
"The continuation of postponing matters, in particular the ones that we have long ago raised. The issues of institutional culture, the issue of the language policy those are the issues that we have raised and they have been setting commissions after commissions."
Makata adds: "So we have now decided to take the matter upon ourselves to make sure that it happens now while we are still studying and that we benefit out of that particular policy that we want."
Nzimande says his department will not tolerate violence and the destruction of property
Some students expressed disappointment following the State of the Nation Address, saying the President did not talk to their demand for free education, among others.
Nzimande says from the beginning of 2016 he has met with more than 30 different stakeholders, explaining government's plans aimed at addressing their demands.
Over and above the non-increment of university fees and the allocation of more funds through the National student financial aid scheme in 2016, the Minister says everyone knows that the presidential commission is looking into the question of free education, as well as the other demands.
"The reason why the President didn't have to do that, he himself had announced on January the 9th what's going to be done and I have been going around explaining and I have met all student organisations."
The Minister has appealed for calm. He says his department will not tolerate violence and the destruction of property, calling on the police to step in to ensure that everyone is safe.