Jacob Zuma says the government is listening to poor students’ pleas
President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday the government was heeding students’ demands by supporting those who could not afford the increase announced by Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande. "In response to the call of students, government is again carrying the cost of fee increases for children of parents who cannot afford the fee increase," said Zuma, speaking at the Heads of Missions Conference in Pretoria. However, he called on students not to "break down the doors" that were already open to them. "It is … worrying that genuine concerns regarding high tertiary education fees are hijacked for wrong ends, and involve particularly violence, arson and various forms of destruction of property. "We have to ensure that universities complete the 2016 academic programme, while we are still finding medium-to long-term solutions," he said. Students at universities across the country have been protesting in support of free education after Nzimande announced that tertiary instit...
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