Pietermaritzburg - University of KwaZulu-Natal students who marched on the KwaZulu-Natal legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, threatened to keep the institution closed until their demand for no increase in fees was met.
About 300 students marched from the university’s Pietermaritzburg campus to the provincial legislature where they handed over memorandum of demands to provincial speaker Lydia Johnson.
The march disrupted traffic in the centre of the KwaZulu-Natal capital, but was peaceful — a fact that was commended by Johnson when she received the memorandum.
Many students said that Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande’s announcement on Monday that fees should not be hiked by more than eight percent was not acceptable.
“What we are saying is that there should be no fee increases here, we just cannot afford any because we are battling as it is,” said one student.
The students were waved placards calling for free education, chanted slogans and sang struggle songs. On some placards there were insults directed at Nzimande.
Johnson promised to send the memorandum to the relevant authorities.
Student Representative Council President Sphelele Nguse said the SRC was expecting a response within seven days from the legislature.
“Until we get a positive response, this struggle continues and our stance is that we are not going back to classes,” Nguse said.
He said students were tired of constantly pleading for the same thing. He urged Johnson to address the plight of students.
Speaking after the march to ANA, Nguse said they wanted a clear stance from the legislature as to whether they support the call for free education.
“We want to know whether they are on our side or not. We have heard people saying they support our cause. We are tired of empty promises. If MPLs support our cause they need to demonstrate this by either passing some form of legislature or lobbying on our behalf.”
He said returning to class when student demands had not been met would amount to succumbing to defeat.
Police maintained a heavy presence and the students dispersed peacefully after their memorandum was signed by Johnson.
African News Agency