Top-level bid to halt campus siege

Higher Education Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize is scheduled to meet university vice-chancellors on Monday to chart a way forward for free studies.

And her deputy, Buti Manamela, will meet with EFF’s Student Command in what is believed to be an efffort to put the brakes on possible clashes next week  when masses of aspiring students are set to descend on campuses across the country.

The EFF Student Command has threatened to shut down South Africa’s 26 universities and 50 technical and vocational colleges if they refuse to allow walk-in applications.

“There could be someone who has been willing to study for the past 13 years and there was no opportunity because they did not have money.

We are even calling those who dropped out because of financial reasons to come back and finish what they started,” said  EFF Student Command president Phuti Keetse.

Late registration starts at univeristies this week but the department has urged those wanting to study to register online.

This follows an announcement by President Jacob Zuma last month that free higher education will, from this year, be available to those living in households that earn less than R350,000 a year.

Sources said this week that the National Treasury was looking at various options - including freezing public service salaries, cutting back on planned capital expenditure and increasing VAT and income tax - to fund the R12-billion plan this year.

• Read the full story on the Sunday Times website