The African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) have condemned the destruction of university property and the intimidation and harassment of university leaders as part of student activism around the issue of free university education.In a statement‚ the ANC said the burning of books and university infrastructure was reprehensible and had no connection to the calls for free education for the poor. The ANC was responding to protests at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday‚ when students who embarked on a violent fees protest burned cars and buildings‚ including a law library. “Attacking university property and harassing university leaders is illegal and a crime. Unlawful conduct cannot be justified by the mistaken belief that burning books is an attack on white monopoly capital‚” the ANC said. In its statement‚ the DA called for calm across all university campuses and for all “law enforcement to make sure those responsible for this arson face the full might of the law”.The DA said the current fees crisis in universities was the result of two decades of chronic financial neglect by the ANC government.In July‚ the DA made a submission to the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training.The party proposed that the poorest students needed the most comprehensive financial support‚ and should be supported.It also proposed that “missing middle” students should receive support‚ but it should be proportional to their financial standing.It also proposed that better-off students should not receive governmental financial support for fees or other expenses as they would either be able to pay for their studies themselves or be eligible for bank loans...