South Africa
Tuesday 24 November 2015 - 2:11pm
Contributors: Bafana Nzimande
SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande at Cosatu's 12th National Congress on 23 November 2015. Photo: eNCA / Bafana Nzimande
MIDRAND - The South African Communist Party (SACP) once again threw its weight behind student mobilisation for free access to higher education.
Speaking at Cosatu’s 12th National Congress on Tuesday, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande praised the bravery shown by many students who participated in several campaigns dealing with racism and access to education.
“The SACP salutes the widespread radical mobilisation of students over the past several weeks and associates itself with the demand to advance towards free access to higher education for the working class and the poor.
“No qualifying student should be excluded from post education and training on financial grounds,” said Nzimande.
The Higher Education minister said recent student protests have exposed many issues, among them the untransformed nature of the several education institutes.
He cautioned students not to let their struggles be controlled by individuals and organisations seeking to serve their own agenda.
Nzimande also condemned the vandalism of educational institutions during student protests and called on the federation to continue to support students.
“As the ANC-led alliance we must unite, patiently listen to issues raised by students and then provide leadership on the ground for the transformation of education and training system,” he said.
Cosatu’s national congress is held in Midrand and 2,500 delegates are attending the four-day conference. Sessions started on Monday.
Like previous speakers, Nzimande called on delegates to emerge from the event as a united front.
He said delegates must put the interests of the working class and the poor first when deliberating on issues.
- eNCA http://www.enca.com/south-africa/sacp-backs-student-mobilization