Johannesburg - The ANC’s Freedom Charter has never advocated free education for all, only for those “who are poor”.
This was the emphatic view of the ANC following its national executive committee meeting over the weekend, amid the #FeesMustFall protests engulfing universities.
This follows widespread misinterpretation of the
The league has issued a statement saying Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimade’s proposed fee hike of not more than 8 percent undermined the ANC NEC decision for free education taken at the Polokwane conference in December 2007 and endorsed in Mangaung in 2012.
But on Monday, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe sought to clarify the confusion and said free education for all was not on the party’s cards.
“The
At least two conferences of the ANC confirmed the party’s resolve to implement free higher education for undergraduate students from poor and working-class families.
Mantashe said the government had implemented free education in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges to poor students. “The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) bursary funding at TVET colleges increased from R318 million in 2010 to R2.3 billion in 2016 and loan funding at universities increased from R2.2bn to R6.4bn.
“Of the R14.6bn, R2.54bn had been earmarked for loans to pay off the debt of NSFAS-qualifying students who were either underfunded or not funded in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 academic years.
“The NEC believes the interventions of the ANC-led government give practical expression to the education provisions of the Freedom Charter. NSFAS goes beyond the charter demands in that thousands of poor students are assisted through NSFAS,” he pointed out.
The ANC was pleased with Nzimande’s announcement that universities may individually increase their fees but cap them at 8 percent.
Mantashe appealed to students to refrain from violent acts and urged interested parties in education to submit their proposals on fees to the Heher Commission.
The Star