Presidency denies taking decision on university fees crisis
JOBURG – Presidency said announcement of fees will be made once consultation processes have been concluded.
As reports of fresh #FeesMustFall protests emerge, the Presidency has stated that consultations are still taking place on university fee increases.
In the past few weeks, there have been reports that university fees for the 2017 academic year will increase by between six and seven percent. “Consultations within government and with stakeholders in the higher education sector are still taking place as announced by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande. An announcement will only be made once the process has been completed,” reads a statement from the office of the Presidency.
Spokesperson for the Presidency, Bongani Ngqulunga said President Jacob Zuma had appointed a Commission of Inquiry led by Judge Jonathan Heher to look into the funding of higher education and training to find long-term solutions.
“The Presidency has reiterated government’s position that a decision on whether there will be university fee increases or not, will be announced once the process of consultations with stakeholders in the higher education sector has been completed,” Ngqulunga added.
There were reports in the media that suggested that Zuma had instructed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Nzimande to find money for another zero-percent fee increase for 2017.
The National Treasury told the Fees Commission of inquiry, looking into the feasibility of free tertiary education, that a zero-percent fee increment for 2017 was not budgeted for.
The Higher Education Transformation Network, an independent non-profit network of graduates and alumni from various higher education and further educational institutions across South Africa, called on Nzimande to reject the proposal by the council on higher education that institutions increase their fees by six percent for the 2017 academic year.
The Network said the minister should wait until the presidential commission on higher education makes its findings around the feasibility of free education.
