Statement of the first NEC meeting of SASCO

Speech in SASCO NEC meeting by Minister of Higher Education

We note and welcome the fact that the Minister of Higher Education and Training has been energetic in responding to problems in the Higher Education sector, particularly during the registration period. We hope that his energy will produce results. We call on the Ministry of Higher Education and Training not only to be energetic but firm in dealing with arrogant institutions.

We note the Information given to us by Dr. Nzimande that the NSFAS Review Committee Report will be released for public consumption shortly. We are itching to see recommendations of this committee, and hope that our input that suggests the introduction of Free Education is included. If Free Education does not feature in this NSFAS Review Committee Report, we will be at war with both the Minister of Higher Education and Training and the NSFAS Review Committee.

Attacks on students by PASMA and PAC militias in TUT

We condemn with utter disgust the barbaric attacks on students by PASMA and PAC criminals disguised as students. One of our members is in ICU fighting for his life because of the attacks by dagga smoking PASMA and PAC members. We are convinced that these PASMA members are not only smoking but selling dagga in TUT and the plant that was found there belongs to one of them.

We are also aware that our members have discovered that PAC has been conducting military training camps within the premises of the institution. We are not going to tolerate violence towards our students by a half-trained PAC militia. We will not be romantic when PASMA is violent towards our students and members. Before we do anything drastic, we call on the Minister of Police and the Police Commissioner to act decisively towards these brazen criminal elements.

Nationalization

The NEC re-iterates its support for the Nationalization of Mines and will work hand in hand with all those who support this call, both in the ANCYL and the SACP. The nationalization of mines will enable government to fund free education. Otherwise we call on government to increase corporate tax in order to fund education tax, particularly, on the cigar-smoking big bourgeoisie. We are ready to mobilize all South African students for the success of nationalization.

COSATU Boycott

We support the boycott of Coca Cola and SAB products by COSATU and we call on our members and students in general not to buy any Coca Cola and SAB products until COSATU calls its boycott off. We are prepared to reject any Coca Cola and SAB products that enter universities. There are various other soft drink and liquor companies that can quench the thirst of students South Africans better than Coca Cola and SAB can ever imagine.

Our parents are struggling to pay our education, let alone registration fees because of the peanuts they receive as salaries from these super-greedy capitalist entities. From now on, we will join COSATU in all their protests designed to increase salaries of our parents.

Media reports on ANC President and his family life

We condemn the irresponsible reports on President Zuma's personal life by journalists who have no respect for the elderly. We view these reports as unnecessary and form part of the anti-Zuma campaign waged by newspapers since that off the record briefing they received from Bulelani Ngcuka. As students we view the public discussion of such aspects of old peoples lives as embarrassing and un-African.

We are utterly disgusted and shocked that DA leader Helen Zille has the temerity to discuss Zuma's sexual life when she cried foul when the ANCYL questioned her sexual behavior. We will never entertain discussions about the sexual life of either Zuma or Zille because both of them are adults in our society.

Statement issued by Mbulelo Mandlana, SASCO President, February 2 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter