STATEMENT: President Zuma to meet with students

The Statement reads:

President Jacob Zuma will meet with all stakeholders to discuss the stalemate with regards to university fee increases.

The President will hold the consultative meetings with the Vice-Chancellors and Chairpersons of Councils as well as with student leaders at the Union Buildings in Pretoria with a view to finding a solution to the impasse.

President Zuma met the Vice-Chancellors and Chairpersons of Councils on 06 October 2015 and they had agreed to establish a task team to explore solutions to short-term student funding challenges. The President reiterates that government fully understands the pressure and difficulties that students coming from poor households and the working class face with regards to high university fees. 

“It is important that we work together to find solutions. Nobody disagrees with the message that students from poor households are facing financial difficulties and possible exclusion. Even in the January 8 statement of the governing party this year,  we stated that the escalating cost of university education had become another source of exclusion for the poor and vulnerable South African child. 

All parties should allow space for this matter to be discussed in a manner that will enable us to find a solution,’’ said the President.

This after violent student protests flared up around the country this week.

Yesterday thousands of students stormed parliament as part of the #FeesMustFall protest.

- Press Release