S. African gov't urged to clarify decison on provision of free higher education

CAPE TOWN, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Tuesday urged the government to clarify its decision to provide free higher education so as to remove prevailing uncertainty.

This came amid growing tension at a number of universities where thousands of students from poor and working-class families were scrambling to get access to free education.

The government must provide clarity as soon as possible on how it will fund free higher education, the SAHRC said.

In December, President Jacob Zuma announced that the government would introduce free higher education and training for poor and working-class undergraduate students at public universities, starting in 2018.

Zuma has come under fire for making the "reckless" announcement without an accompanying implementation strategy and roll-out timeline.

The Finance Ministry said last week that it did not have the money to pay the billions of rand needed to fund free higher education.

Several universities have complained that Zuma's announcement on free higher education is putting strain on their resources.

Over the past two days, thousands of students qualified for free higher education have swarmed to universities to make applications and enquiries after the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called for walk-in registrations.

Tension has been on the rise at some universities after they refused to accept walk-in registrations.

The current situation is reminiscent of wide-spread student protests over tuition increases in 2015 when violence led to the disruption of academic programs and the destruction of properties at a number of university campuses.

The SAHRC has observed increasing tension amongst several stakeholders in light of the current registration process underway, spokesperson Gail Smith said.

"It must be noted that the decision on free higher education does not increase the number of spaces that each institution of higher learning can afford to avail to students," Smith said.

Those institutions, he said, should therefore not be compelled, directly or indirectly, to admit more students than the number of learning spaces that each of them can make available to students.

Smith warned that overcrowding and stretching resources available at these institutions can have a negative impact on the very right of access to higher education that the country is trying to give poor students access to.

The SAHRC urges all parties to work collaboratively to ensure that all poor students are accommodated and that the registration processes across all campuses take place in an inclusive and peaceful manner, said Smith.

He said the SAHRC will continue to monitor the situation and avails itself to facilitate engagements among relevant stakeholders with a view to addressing concerns and mitigating potential instability. Enditem