Cost of damage at Universities due to student protests is R145 million
JOBURG – Police must have a stronger presence at universities during protests.
The cost to repair the damage caused during student protests at 13 universities countrywide last year, amount to more than R145 million, according to a statement released by the Department of Higher Education and Training.
This money that would have been used to improve systems and deploy more resources to assist poor students, will now be used to repair the damage at the universities.
Two local universities have also been listed by the department: damages worth R1 410 223 was caused at the University of Witwatersrand and damages worth R345 000 was caused at the University of Johannesburg. The damage was done between October 2015 and January 2016.
With costs put together from 13 universities countrywide, the total amount of damages will be R145 330 541.72.
“The fuller assessment costs of the 2016 damage in our universities is being done to appreciate the scale of damage,” said director and media liaison officer of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Khaye Nkwanyana.
The Minister of Education, Angie Motshekga, insists that even though protests are a democratic right in the country, the violence and damage caused to property, as has happened repeatedly, constitute a criminal act that must be prosecutable. “Minister Motshekga has met with the Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko to agree on stronger deployment of police into universities where protests are reported to protect university property, the staff and students from protesters,” said Nkwanyana.
“We urge the majority of students to stand up and denounce these acts,” said Nkwanyana. The department is calling for parents, faith-based organisations and the society at large to stop criminal behaviour. Universities are public assets belonging to the public at large and to the generations to come. Protecting these institutions should be a social responsibility from the public and not only government.
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