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JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Protests erupted on Monday in several universities across South Africa following an official announcement greenlighting college fee hikes.
Disgruntled university students voiced their demand for a zero-percent increase while protesting against the statement by Minister of Higher Education and Training Blade Nzimande that universities can increase fees for 2017, provided it does not exceed 8 percent.
Students at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg stormed classrooms and pulled students out of class in an attempt to shut the institution down. All entrances at the campus have been closed.
Students were now marching through the university's Johannesburg campus to "conscientize" students who are still in class, one student leader said.
"Our demand is very clear: a moratorium on all fee increments until the realization of free and quality education #FeesMustFall," said the School Representative Council.
Meanwhile, police maintained a heavy presence as the protest raged on.
"We are on standby as we don't know how the students will behave. We are monitoring the situation closely," said one policeman.
Police and campus security have been conducting regular patrols.
While making the announcement, Nzimande said he had consulted with various stakeholders to find the best way to handle the situation.
"We understand the legitimate student concerns about the affordability of university education. At the same time, we need to ensure that those who can afford to pay must pay," Nzimande said.
Responding to universities' insistence on an 8-percent fee rise and students' demand for zero-percent increase, Nzimande said, "Our recommendation is that fee adjustments should not go above eight percent."
To ensure that such inflation-linked fee adjustments of the 2015 fee baseline were affordable to financially-needy students, the government was committed to finding the resources to support all students, the minister said.
He said the government would assist households with an income of less than R600,000 (about 42,000 U.S. dollars) per annum, with subsidy funding to cover the gap between the 2015 fee and adjusted 2017 fee at the relevant institutions.
Universities South Africa, a body representing the country's 26 universities, welcomed Nzimande's announcement.
"Extended state subsidies to the universities ensure that for the students who are at highest financial risk, there is effectively a zero-percent increase in the tuition fees for 2017. We applaud this step," said Professor Ahmed Bawa, the chief executive of body, in a statement. Enditem
