ADAM HABIB: The problem with Zuma's plan
To expose the populism of the president, the EFF has been prepared to behave in the same populist manner and create a crisis at SA universities
Allow me to put this on record: vice-chancellors of SA universities were not consulted ahead of President Jacob Zuma’s declaration of free education for those with a family income of under R350,000/year. We were aware of the debate because it had been covered in the media, but we were told it had been deferred to the budget deliberations in the new year. We did have a meeting with higher education minister Hlengiwe Mkhize just prior to the announcement, but the fee-free proposal was never discussed. What we explored was the possibility of a repeat of the previous year’s concessions, namely that the state would pay the fee increase for those with a family income of less than R600,000. There has been rhetorical judgment by some student leaders, politicians and activists that the vice-chancellors are opposed to the fee-free proposal. Let me clarify. The vice-chancellors do not hold a homogeneous position on this. Some do not believe in free higher education, given the levels of inequal...
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