Increases but one issue fuelling #FeesMustFall protests: Nzimande
Feelings of alienation and discrimination at tertiary institutions had fueled the nationwide student-led #FeesMustFall protests, parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training heard on Wednesday.
“We must not forget that these students protests come against the backdrop of many black students feeling alienated at white universities,” said Minister for Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande.
Nzimande, accompanied by his ministry team, briefed the portfolio committee on the student protests as well as the resolutions of the second higher education transformation summit recently held in Durban.
The minister’s prepared presentation consisted of 13 slides – three of these discussed the student protests. The rest were dedicated to the summit.
Nzimande stated that the summit had dealt with many of the “burning issues” prior to October 15, when University of Witwatersrand students began the #FeesMustFall protests.
Among the issues tabled at the summit was the insufficient levels of student funding, persistence of racism and classicism, language practices, and western-dominated curricula.
On the latter, one of the examples given related to the University of Cape Town (UCT).
Nzimande referred to a dispute between the then UCT Vice-Chancellor Dr Mamphela Ramphele and renowned sociologist Professor Mahmood Mamdani in the late nineties. The dispute – and later, the resignation of Mamdani – related to what African Studies should look like at UCT.
“The university should have looked at itself then,” said Nzimande, “Now, the chickens are coming home to roost.”
On curricula, Nzimande said universities such as UCT and Stellenbosch University needed to locate itself better in the African context.
“Sometimes we train students as if they are living in New York or London when actually they are living in Mthatha,” he said.
Nzimande said the department and government were committed to tackling these issues, most importantly the fees issue.
Task teams were – prior to the nationwide protests – set up and mandated to deliver reports to President Jacob Zuma. Of these was one to deal with the immediate challenges relating to funding in 2016 and the report on this was due at the end of November this year.
Meanwhile, said Nzimande, students were urged to return to university.
“I would like to again urge students to go back to class so that exams are protected and I’d also like to join the deputy minister in asking parents to assist us in getting students to return to university.” - ANA
(File photo: Gallo Images)