Free education for all- students demand

04 March 2010
Ofentse Mokae

Students from various higher education institutions across the provinces led by South African Students Congress, protested to parliament to hand over a memorandum of demands.

The march that kick off from Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Cape Town campus saw about one thousand students in SASCO t-shirts chant slogans and sing freedom songs.

SASCO president Mbulelo Mandlana handed over the memorandum to parliament’s higher education and training portfolio committee chairperson Marius Fransman.

The memorandum detailed the students’ call for free education to all students.

“We demand that education be made free and accessible to all poor and academically deserving students, and this process should be made immediate,” said Khaya Yozi Western Cape provincial secretary.

Yozi said the process should be started as soon as possible as this is the basic right of all South Africans.

Fransman said he understood the frustrations of the students and said they would look into the matter.

Fransman also mentioned that currently engagements with relevant stakeholders are underway by his committee to address the issue of study fees at institutions of higher learning and said a meeting with student leaders will be held soon, to address the students matters.