SAHRC confident that state-led initiatives and students can break impasse

23 October 2015 - 10:55 By RDM News Wire

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) weighed in on the university fees protests by saying it is “desirous that normality of classes‚ learning and teaching is restored”. The commission also promised to release findings and recommendations of its own probe into “factors that either constrain or enhance levels and speed of transformation in institutions of higher learning in the country”.Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said “it is clear that the protests point to underlying and systemic factors that require resolution” and urged all stakeholders to aim for a “speedy” settlement.Mangena said the SAHRC is aware of a “number of initiatives that preceded the eruption of these protests”.This included the “Summit on Transformation of Higher Education”‚ held earlier this month in Durban‚ where a “central issue that received priority attention…was how tertiary education could be funded in order to ease the burden of students‚ particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds”.“The SAHRC is also aware of recent commitments at the highest level of government to intervene in this matter by convening an appropriate forum for the ventilation and resolution of the very important problem of funding of higher education in South Africa‚” Mangena said.“In view of these efforts‚ the commission appeals to student councils and unions to co-operate with ongoing processes and allow these processes to reach fruitful conclusion.“The commission is confident that the combined outcome of these state-led initiatives on the one hand‚ and the participation of student and union representative bodies‚ on the other hand‚ will result in a desirable and sustainable outcome for all concerned.”The heirs of entitlement were violently hostile to #FeesMusFall right up until they saw #ANCMustFall— Victor Dlamini (@victordlamini) October 23, 2015async #ANCMustFall: Ruling party faces backlash amid #FeesMustFall student protests https://t.co/DYAVItEmnlpic.twitter.com/zU42j4P5bM— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) October 22, 2015async May these words by Tata Madiba be a reminder to South Africa's politicians and police. #ANCMustFall#FeesMustFallpic.twitter.com/cd3wyudggQ— Ulrich J van Vuuren (@UlrichJvV) October 21, 2015async Finally we got to the root of the problem The corrupt #ANC. #ANCmustfall— Vutivi kay Baloyi (@KnowlieBee) October 21, 2015async ..

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