Cape Town – Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene says processes are underway to find lasting solutions to resolve the impasse over university tuition fee increases that have led to nationwide student protests.
The Minister briefed a joint meeting of the Standing and Select Committees on Finance and Appropriations on Thursday on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement. He tabled the mini-budget in the National Assembly yesterday amid student protests.
Students from institutions of higher learning across the country have embarked on protests, calling on university authorities to back down on their proposed fees for 2016. Many of the universities remain closed.
Asked by Members of Parliament what National Treasury was doing to respond to the protests, the Minister said the Department of Finance was part of a number of departments that were hard at work to find long lasting solutions.
He said there were two processes currently underway.
“Firstly, there is an interdepartmental task team where our department is participating where we are beginning to look at the entire funding model to first identify the inefficiencies that are there because you will realise that we have this challenge at a time when, for instance, allocations have tripled over the past five years.
“We already spend about R50 billion on NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] alone. This is in addition to all the other money that government spends to support institutions of higher learning.”
He said a review of the post-school system in order to find a lasting and amicable solutions is underway.
The Minister said government also had a task team led by the Presidency which brings together all stakeholders, including the private sector, to deliberate on what can be done going forward.
While consultations continue to find a solution, the Minister said government would look at the current fee proposals as a short-term solution.
“If indeed that is the problem, I would like to believe that the immediate intervention would be one that looks at the increase first and then continue with the process, expedite it of finding a lasting solution of funding post school education,” he said.
Student protests continued on Thursday as those that were arrested appears in the Western Cape High Court.
President Jacob Zuma has called a meeting with students and university vice chancellors at the Union Buildings on Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
