Johannesburg - The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Blade Nzimande has condemned the violent disruptions, arson, vandalism and student intimidation at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
This comes after the students at CPUT embarked on a protest against the institution over the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding conditions, leaving buildings and cars torched and other institutional infrastructure vandalised.
The scheme announced early this year that students who were studying for less than 60 course credits towards their qualification, qualified for the learning materials allowances only and no other expenses.
“Government cannot and will not tolerate the threat to lives and destruction of property and requests both the universities’ management to tighten up security in all the campuses in order to ensure the safety of all students and workers,” Nzimande said.
He said arson, vandalism and intimidation would never justify or be associated with any legitimate form of protest, and should be condemned unequivocally by all, including by student leaders themselves.
Nzimande further appealed to both the universities to work with the law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these criminal acts were exposed and the necessary disciplinary action taken against all students who involved in the crime. He also called for calm and asked all the stakeholders to continue to participate in the consultation processes.
To resolve the matter, he said his department and NSFAS had been consulting both the universities’ stakeholders including the Student Representative Councils to resolve the impasse.
“The Minister will be awaiting a full report from both the consultations processes and a way forward,” the department said.
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