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Roundup: ANC backs education minister amid student protests against fee increase

Xinhua, September 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Tuesday threw its weight behind the education minister as a new wave of student protests gripped a number of major universities across the country.

The ANC said it supports the announcement by minister Blade Nzimande that all students from poor, working class and middle class families will not experience any increase in universities fees in the 2017 academic year.

"The decision represents a significant step forward towards the progressive realization of free education for the poor in line with ANC policy positions and the Freedom Charter," the ANC said.

The Freedom Charter stipulates that "higher education and technical training shall be opened to all by means of state allowances and scholarships awarded on the basis of merit".

The ANC made the statement as students continued to protest against the planned fee increases at several major universities across the country.

Nzimande announced on Monday that universities can raise tuition fees, provided that the increases do not exceed eight percent.

The minister also announced that the government is committed to finding the resources to subsidize children of poor, working and middle class families -- those with a household income of no more than 600,000 rand (about 42,000 US dollars) per annum -- to protect them from the tuition rise.

"We understand the legitimate student concerns about the affordability of university education. At the same time, we need to ensure that those who can afford to pay must pay," Nzimande said.

Universities have recommended an 8-percent increase in fees, while students demand zero-percent increase.

On Tuesday morning, academic activities at the Wits University almost came to a standstill as students blocked cars from entering the institution and barred students from attending classes.

Police fired stun grenades at the students who responded by pelting the police with stones.

Security personnel at the University prevented the students from marching to the administration offices to force Vice Chancellor Adam Habib to address them.

Students threw stones at the security personnel and the offices, breaking some windows.

Meanwhile, protests also took place at universities in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Free State provinces. The University of Cape Town had to suspend classes because of the protest. Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria was also shut down.

Gauteng Provincial Deputy Commissioner Eric Nkuna said the police are constantly disrupted from their core business of fighting crime by the "Fees Must Fall" protests.

South African universities were hit by widespread protests over fee increases last year. According to official figures, the unrest cost more than 145 million rand in damage.

The government then suspended fee increases for 2016 and provided universities with billions of rand for the shortfall. Endit