Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande was a no-show at a prayer session aimed at ending a wave of violent student protests at universities across the country. The prayer session held at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) on Thursday night was convened by the Alliance of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of South Africa.Nzimande’s spokesman Harold Maloka said the minister did not attend the prayer meeting because he had another engagement and the organiser said the starting time was delayed because the hall was still empty.A representative of the church apologised for Nzimande’s absence and said he had expressed his “sincere apology because he had another engagement and could not wait any longer”.Disgusted members of the the Economic Freedom Fighters Students’ Command‚ who were only allowed to enter on condition they didn't disrupt proceedings‚ stormed out of the hall as soon as the announcement was made that Nzimande was no longer coming.Addressing students outside‚ Tshwane University of Technology SRC president Sthembiso Shandu said they had come to the Durban ICC to receive “a prayer and we are very grateful that in South Africa there are still churches which can come with such a good idea”.But he said students were still unwavering in their demand for a free education.“We are not rascals‚ we’re not hooligans‚ we’re young people and we’re the children of the poor working class. What we want is free education. We want a promise which was made in 1994‚” he said.He invited all students to converge at the Workshop mall in Durban in Friday morning for a mass meeting which will chart a way forward.“If we are united‚ we are going to achieve our demand but if we’re divided‚ we’re not‚” he said.He condemned any vandalism on campuses which he blamed on the private security companies contracted by universities.Earlier‚ Bishop Phumlani Ndlovu said South Africa was a good country “but there was an evil spirit” which was destroying it.He said if the church was silent‚ the evil spirit was going to destroy the whole country.“We want to know how this evil spirit went to the institutions of higher learning to cause division between students and parents and those who are leading and those who are led. This spirit wants to destroy this country.”Pastor Wiseman Ngcobo said the church was not blaming anyone for the protests.“We’ve seen that students have demands for access to education. That is also our cry‚ but we’re here to ask God to intervene. There is violence and damage of property and we’re worried about that. We’re not here to judge but to give guidance‚” he said. – TMG Digital/The Times..