Students must be patient and allow the fees commission to conclude its work, Deputy Higher Education and Training Minister Mduduzi Manana said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The acute under-funding of higher education had \u201csomewhat created an uproar\u201d among students, he said in Parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe brutal truth is that the state paid for the fee increase not instituted for the 2016 year, at the expense of other government programmes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fees commission will only conclude its work next year. I wish to appeal to all our stakeholders and our students to allow the commission to do its work without disruptions.”<\/p>\n
Manana said the commission, established in January, had concluded discussions with academics and would now hold talks with other groups, including Treasury.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are thus justified to call upon the private sector to contribute. We need collaborative efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are navigating through this precarious path. We therefore ask our people to exercise maximum patience as we find solutions to the current challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vandalism<\/strong><\/p>\n The significant growth of the black middle class was a success of the current government, he said.<\/p>\n Manana condemned the destruction of two buildings at the University of KwaZulu-Natal during student protests on Monday and Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to isolate and expose vandals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Economic Freedom Fighters MP Floyd Shivambu asked the House on a point of order if his party could deliver a second speech, as the African National Congress \u201cdoes not have anything to say about higher education\u201d.<\/p>\n House chairperson Cedric Frolick dismissed his plea.<\/p>\n Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande was not present in the House on Thursday.<\/p>\n News24<\/a><\/p>\n 16 universities in South Africa in financial distress<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Zuma orders 0% university fee increase \u2013 despite threat of collapse<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n SA universities could become dysfunctional by 2018 with 0% increase<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on education<\/h3>\n