According to Nzimande, it is a misconception that there was a 0% increase in fees in 2016, saying that fees increased by 6%, with government (taxpayers) covering that amount.
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“It is incorrect to say they did not go up; the government just footed the bill”, he said.
“Government is committing to finding the resources to support children of all poor, working and middle-class families”, explained Nzimande.
He said they would assist households with an income of up to R600 000 per annum with subsidy funding to cover the gap between the 2015 fee and adjusted 2017 fee at the relevant institutions.
Should the Minister fail to address the urgent call for free education and seek to divide the student movement by putting forward a haphazard fee increment for 2017, we will be forced to act.
However, students who have been demanding a moratorium on fee hikes for a second year, have not been left out of the equation.
UCT vice chancellor Max Price told EWN that despite students wanting free education “we can pretty sure that the minister is not going to announce free education, certainly not now or at least for next year”.
Who is the “missing middle”?
“Government is calling on all students and campus securities to reduce tensions on campus and allow an environment for dialogue around emerging solutions to the fees challenge”, said Liphoko. Nzimande said an agreement was reached with vice-chancellors and council chairpersons. It will consist of a loan system so that the missing middle will not have to pay any fees upfront.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, the Wits Students Representative Council (SRC) rejected Nzimande’s announcement. However, he also wrote, “we remain dissatisfied by the Minister’s lack of attention to the resounding call for free education in our lifetime”.
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According to the UCT SRC, there are now 2,825 NSFAS recipients at the university and 899 missing middle funded students.
