Rhodes SRC likes Ramaphosa's message

The Rhodes University Student Representative Council were completely sold on the message delivered to them by ANC Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa in Grahamstown on Sunday.

Speaking to The Times shortly after the address at the university’s Barrat Lecture Theatre‚ Rhodes SRC Deputy President Dingaan Booi‚ said emphatically that as an SRC “we buy into his message”.

Ramaphosa addressed students‚ staff and members of the public on issues of economic transformation‚ access to higher learning and the role of students in society.

“The deputy president’s message was necessary for the time [that] we find ourselves [in] as a country‚” Booi said.

“He spoke clearly on the need for development in SA and the need for looking at channels to create re-investment in the country...and of creating a platform where institutions of higher learning play a more key role in nation building.

“He made the point clearly in a sense that universities are these ivory towers due to the fact that in SA we have such a polarisation of people‚ where there’s high unemployment and the economic positions of families differ. So universities are spaces which just allow an ordinary individual to enter the space due to the high cost of fees.”

Booi felt that Ramaphosa was explicit in stating that the #FeesMustFall campaign was a “true reflection” of the fact that better access was needed to institutions of learning by ordinary South Africans.

“He recognises the importance of the plight black child in SA‚” said Booi.

“What was quite refreshing was him locating young people within two strata of society‚ which are leadership and the economy. Getting the economy to a point where it can draw from graduates.”

Although the SRC was aware of possible “subtle undertones of a person who might be running for president of the nation soon”‚ it was satisfied with Ramaphosa’s message and “liked what he had to say”.

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE