#Where’sBlade: Minister Nzimande needs to show leadership while our Universities are in crisis once again
20 May 2016
The DA will today write to the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, requesting him to report urgently to Parliament in terms of National Assembly (NA) Rule 106 and to make an Executive Statement. Specifically, he needs to address the recent spate of violent protest that has left several universities with a cumulative arson bill in excess of R400 million; and to explain to the country what steps he will be taking to prevent further incidents from taking place.
The total value of damage done to universities since the beginning of the#FeesMustFall movement last year is now over R400 million. This number will quickly approach the half a billion rand mark if nothing is done to contain the violent protests as well as to resolve the legitimate concerns of many students across the country. Besides the horrific effect any incident of arson must have upon the learning environment, we cannot countenance further strain being imposed on the financial stability of universities, which will no doubt have to foot the bill for the damages
Today Fort Hare, the historic jewel in the crown of African higher education celebrates 100 years of its existence amidst a spectacular failure by the Department of Higher Education to ensure that its students are properly funded, resulting in police lockdown and endemic student violence on the campus. Minister Nzimande’s silence on this matter is deafening.
Once again we have to ask “where is Blade”? The Minister has been away during this crucial period and neither the Deputy Minister nor the Ministry itself has said a word about the recent protests. Minister Nzimande needs to explain to the country what is happening in our precious universities. Failing this, Parliament must summon him to make such a statement as it is empowered to do in terms section 55(2) of the Constitution.
In the last week there has been a spate of incidents:
- The burning down of Sanlam Auditorium, student support offices and computers used for career guidance at the University of Johannesburg costing an estimated R100 million;
- The burning of offices and a staff house at Vaal University of Technology costing R1 million;
- The burning of cars, a library and office furniture at Sekhukhune TVET College costing R1.2 million;
- The burning of tents at the University of Fort Hare’s (UFH) Centenary celebrations. The damage is not yet assessed here.
- These damages are in addition to the R300 million in total damages resulting from the #FeesMustFall and other protests, a figure revealed in response to a recent DA parliamentary question.
The DA also asked where the money would be coming from to pay for the damages. The Minister dismissively indicated that universities would shoulder the burden and that “certain claims” would be recovered from insurance.
This show of disinterest and unwillingness to lead is unacceptable. It will be the poor that suffer the most as our underfunded universities are all now entering into a period of austerity and will be increasingly unable to invest in new infrastructure, student support programmes or bursaries.
Earlier this week the DA proposed several amendments to the main budget to redirect R2.7 billion away from unnecessary spending and into higher education spending. Inexplicably, given the current malaise, the ANC voted down this proposal.
The DA will be lodging further parliamentary questions to assess where the money to pay for the latest damages will be coming from, whether there is enough money to cover these costs and whether the Minister will be giving any contribution at all to affected universities. We need to know what the long term plan is or if he is simply content to watch them burn while sipping champagne with foreign dignitaries.
Issued by Belinda Bozzoli, DA Shadow Minister of Higher Education and Training, 20 May 2016
