ANC YOUTH LEAGUE SENDS CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF A PARENT THAT WAS KILLED IN A STAMPEDE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG ON TUESDAY, THE 10TH OF JANUARY 2012:
10 January 2012
The African National Congress Youth League sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of a parent who was killed in a stampede at the University of Johannesburg on Tuesday, the 10th of January 2012. It has come to the attention of the ANC Youth League that a parent of a prospective UJ student was killed in a stampede of many other prospective students at the University of Johannesburg.
In mourning the death of the parent who passed away, the ANC Youth League calls on government to urgently put in place measures that will remedy the situation of many prospective students and fewer admission spaces in institutions of higher learning not only in UJ, but across institutions of higher learning in South Africa.
The South African government, particularly Higher Education Ministry should acknowledge the fact that the inability to institutions of higher learning to admit the entirety of learners who are eligible for higher education is reaching a crisis level. In 2010, more than 400 000 students passed their senior certification and in 2011, more than 350 000 passed the senior certification.
There are many others who passed in previous years and the number of spaces for students in South Africa's post-secondary schooling system, including Further Education and Training institutions is far lesser than the number of eligible learners. This should be resolved urgently, because even learners who did not pass senior certificates should be integrated into FET colleges and other vocational training institutions. This is one issue the ANC Youth League has raised publicly and in the ANC with the hope that we will soon find a sustainable solution.
The ANC Youth League will work with the South African Students' Congress (SASCO) to find sustainable solutions to this crisis and will soon meet with the University of Johannesburg Management and Higher education ministry to discuss possible way-forward. As youth, we carry the obligation to find sustainable solutions to the fact that our institutions of higher learning cannot accommodate all prospective eligible students, who have the passion, capacity and will to further their studies.
When congratulating learners who passed the senior certificate for 2011, the ANC Youth League said, "no learner who is eligible to be admitted in an institution of higher learning or FET should be kept outside". The ANC government should ensure that no eligible student is excluded from institutions of higher learning, because such will deepen societal ills of unemployment, poverty, starvation, crime, and inequalities. The doors of learning and culture should be opened.
Once again, our deepest felt condolences to the parent of a prospective student at the University of Johannesburg. The parent died in pursuit of education for her child, and such is honourable. May her soul Rest in peace!
Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, January 10 2012
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