By Staff Reporter
The South African National Civic Organisation(SANCO) on Sunday urged university students to remain calm and give the commission appointed to investigate funding of free higher education time to complete its work.
“Those prematurely agitating for disruption of higher education institutions are anarchists that do not have the welfare of students at heart nor appreciate processes that need to be followed before the commission which has only began its work last week finalises recommendations for a decision on the affordability of free higher education to be made,” said SANCO National Spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu, in reaction to the threat by the South African Union of Students (SAUS).
Mahlangu said that the posture by SAUS is an attempt to position itself as leader of the #FeesMustFall movement for it to advance the agenda to destabilise higher education institutions.
“Ignorance and failure of the organisation to appreciate processes that must unfold after it has made its presentation accounts for its frustration. “It cannot want to be the only organisation to speak for students and other stakeholders,” he said.
He said wealth tax that SANCO had earlier proposed to fund free higher education for undergraduate studies remains an option that could be explored, if shifts and provision cannot be made in the current budget. “We support processes that are underway to find solutions to the impasse,” Mr Mahlangu said.
