Student union threatens another shut down
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) is warning that student protests could flare up again if the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training does not conclude by September.
SAUS President Avela Mjajubana made submissions before the so-called fees commission on the first day of public hearings.
The commission was established to look into the feasibility of free higher education after violent student protests rocked the country last year.
The commission has heard from the student union, the University of Witwatersrand, students and the Department of Higher Education on the first in a series of public hearings.
The 'fees must fall' movement came into the spotlight last year when several universities and colleges across the country were disrupted during violent protests against higher education fees.
The student union stressed again on Wednesday that students should not be burdened by fees and also expressed its unhappiness at the slow pace of the commission.
Mjajubana questioned how the commission can still be busy with logistics months after it was established.
He said they will go across the country to see if there is a mandate to close schools down again if the commission does not run on time.