Midrand - South African Communist Party Blade Nzimande says the party has extended its financial sector campaign to include finding funding for higher education.
He was speaking at the Cosatu congress that is being held in Midrand, Johannesburg this week.
Earlier this month, on the back of the #FeesMustFall social media campaign and protests around the country, President Jacob Zuma said the ANC was politically committed to working towards delivering free education.
“I am sure you will recall honourable member that the matter of free education is a policy of the ruling party, that is our policy, established decades ago and we have tried to begin to implement it,” Zuma said during a Parliamentary question and answer session.
“That is why at the lower levels there are schools that are free from fees, as part of the implementation of that policy. What we have not done is to say from today the education is free, but we have said that is our goal.”
He said this had resulted in students from poor families attending school free up to matric.
“With regard to the institutions of higher learning, that is a matter we have been looking at and the department has been looking at it to actually put up a commission or a grouping to deal with the matter, investigate it, there is even a report that has been written on that issue… how do we implement this. That report will be taken into account by the commission.
“What I am happy about is that for the first time in the country, everybody agreed with the ANC policy that there must be free education,” he added to applause from the ANC.
Zuma skipped over questions as to how a projected funding gap of some R2.3 billion, created by his October 25 announcement that there would be no university fee increases in 2016, would be bridged.
In the fiscal year to February 2016 government spending on basic education was projected to climb to R270 billion and the government was planning to spend R63.7 billion this year on post-school education and training or 4.6 percent of total expenditure in the year to February 2016.
Expenditure on post-school education and training was set to rise on average by 6.3 percent a year over the four years to February 2019.
Also during the congress, Nzimande hit out at those who wanted to "drive a wedge" between the SACP and the country's biggest trade union federation.
He also demanded an end to factionalism and the buying of votes within the tripartite alliance.
Nzimande moreover slammed people who were beginning to lobby for the ANC's next elective conference, which is meant to be held in 2017.
LABOUR BUREAU