The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, who is a member of the African National Congress (ANC) is being accused of going against ANC policy on free education. These accusations are coming from his fellow political party member, Former President Jacob Zuma.
Zuma said:
Please deliver this message to Comrade Nzimande that he must stop what he is doing because it is like we are provoking each other. I thought he was an ANC member.
He then went on to say, "The Freedom Charter says, 'there shall be free education'. Where does he get the audacity to go against the policy of the ANC?".
The Minister responded by laughing and said, "I don't want to be debating with the Former President. I respect him as an elder".
He explained:
I have already answered the very question he is raising. There is no policy for the ANC for free higher education for all. Even if when you go to the Freedom Charter, the Freedom Charter talks about free and compulsory schooling and then it says Higher Education students will be assisted with scholarships and allowances based on merit. Go and read that clause.
Nzimande went on to say that Government policy states that the working class and the poor should be provided with higher education, which is being done through the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The Minister has emphasised time and time again that we should focus on what has already been done and making sure young people can access higher education.
This year, Government is said to be spending R43 billion on NSFAS, a 500% increase from 2014.
Nzimande has said that he will not be resigning, as many have called for, and remains committed to young people accessing higher education.
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme, what we all know as NSFAS, is a government bursary that is available to underprivileged South African students. This is a government student bursary scheme which receives its funding budget from, and reports to the Department of Higher Education and Training.
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