S. Africa’s Zuma denies plans for free education

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - President Jacob Zuma’s office on Sunday denied reports he was planning to announce free tertiary education this year following last year's violent student protests, but was stopped by the National Treasury.

"The story in the Sunday Times newspaper reporting that President Jacob Zuma was planning to announce free education in the State of the Nation Address is a fabrication," the presidency said.

The statement added that the President never planned to make such an announcement since he had already appointed a commission of inquiry into higher education funding.

"The President waited for the Commission to conclude its business. At no stage did he plan to make any announcements that would undermine the work of the Commission," spokesman Bongani Ngqulunga said.

Last year, students launched protests at the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg after former Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande announced there would be a tuition fee hike for the 2017 academic year.

Students across the country took to the streets calling for a free education with scenes of police clashing with students becoming common at several universities.

Police used stun grenades, water cannon and teargas to break up the protests leading to nationwide condemnation for their use of excessive force.

In 2015, thousands of students marched in the capital Pretoria to protest against a proposed tuition fee hike for the 2016 academic year.

Protesting under the banner #FeesMustFall, students called for free tertiary education.

After days of protests, President Jacob Zuma announced there would not be any tuition fee hike for the 2016 academic year.

However, experts fear that similar protests could now resurface in response to the president’s statement that he did not plan to announce free education.

"We are looking at a period of unrest at universities. Although students are writing their exams, protests could start," political analyst and academic Shadrack Gutto told Anadolu Agency on Sunday.

Gutto, the former director of the Centre for African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, said it would be impossible for the president to announce free tertiary education considering the economic downturn.

"There is high unemployment, our currency the Rand is losing against international currencies and there is low production," he said.

Efforts by Anadolu Agency to get a comment from Student Representative Councils (SRC) were futile.