Cape Town - Ousted Cosatu leader Zwelinzima Vavi has voiced his support for university students and workers of the #FeesMustFall and #EndOutsourcing movements, urging them to take their struggle “to new heights” next year.
Speaking at a public meeting organised by the United Front in Langa on Saturday, Vavi said protests at universities in recent weeks had exposed how the ruling party had abandoned the ideals of the Freedom Charter which guaranteed free education, land and housing.
“Next year we should pay no registration fees at universities and no school fees,” he said, adding there was enough money for all education to be free from primary school to university.
“South Africa is not a poor country, we have all the resources, but there is no political leadership to ensure the dreams we had when the country was under apartheid rule are realised.”
Vavi said the ANC and Cosatu had become shadows of their former selves.
“I have observed how unity has been broken down in Cosatu, how the ANC Youth League has been destroyed, how Sasco has been turned into an apologist group and how the ANC Women’s League had become a praise singer of gender oppression.”
Student representatives of the universities said they were disappointed in the Cosatu-affiliated National Education Health and Allied Workers Union for not representing the demands of the workers adequately.
Asanda Bleki, a University of the Western Cape student who was arrested during protests, said: “Nehawu must fall at UWC”. He said they would continue to fight white supremacy and white capital which were exploiting black labour.
Weekend Argus
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