South African Higher Education Minister Bonginkosi Emmanuel Nzimande has condemned all forms of violent student protests, warning of legal repercussions for anyone engaged in violence and property damage.
Ishmail Mnisi, the spokesman for the Higher Education and Training Department, disclosed this to Sputnik on Thursday in the wake of protests at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
On Wednesday, up to 100 students gathered to protest outside the university over alleged financial exclusion whereby students with debt were prohibited from registering for new courses.
The police fired rubber bullets at protesting students, accidentally killing a 35-year-old man who was reportedly not a protester and is said to have been caught up in a confrontation between the students and the police.
“Protesting students must refrain from intimidating the general student populace and the University employees by making inflammatory and provocative statements that incite violence.
“Minister Nzimande further warned students that the destruction of property is a criminal offense and all those engaging in such acts will be apprehended by law enforcement agencies and face the full might of the law,” Mnisi said.
The spokesman concluded by reiterating Nzimande’s engagement with student leaders and argued that damage to property and violence can never be tolerated.
Secretary-General of the South African Students Congress (SASCO) Buthanani Thobela insists that if the government does not make funds available for first-year students they will render institutions of higher learning ungovernable.
“Well, our stance is simple that the ANC (African National Congress) government must deliver on its promise and commitment it made to the people of South Africa and us students.
“The only solution to us to stop the protests is them availing funds to fund the first years, clearing the historical debts, and providing a solution to the missing middle funding,” Thobela told Sputnik.
Thobela said that SASCO remained resolute and would not be deterred from making its clarion call.
The country’s shadow higher education minister, Chantel King, criticised Nzimande for not facing the current crisis directly, saying that the minister should consult not only with the cabinet but also with various other stakeholders.
“We should look at a loan scheme to assist those who cannot afford to pay for the funding which will then be recovered at a later stage when they are employed and receive incomes at a certain salary range.
“This will alleviate the system and alleviate universities from being once again left to deal with this situation of student protests,” King told Sputnik.
Meanwhile, Minister of Police Bheki Cele has visited the family of the deceased.