CAPE TOWN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing student protests over fee increases have been hijacked by opportunistic elements, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) said on Thursday.
The ANC issued the statement following the arrests of several individuals, who are not students, for inciting violence during the student protests that have gripped a number of universities for weeks across the country.
This is a clear indication that these protests have been hijacked by "sinister opportunistic elements" and are no longer solely concerned with the very real dilemma of the cost of education, ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.
It is with grave concern that the ANC has noted the protests in the name of free education in various higher education institutions across the country, he said.
"While the ANC-led government remains committed to ensuring equitable access to education and free education for the poor, we condemn in the harshest possible terms the continuing attempts to disrupt classes and what remains of the academic year at various campuses," Kodwa said.
The ANC-led government is delivering on its commitment to ensuring that no child from poor and working class backgrounds will be denied access to education, he said.
To this end, the government has implemented fee-free schools at basic education level and the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in higher education to afford the poorest access education, said Kodwa.
Further measures are currently underway to interrogate broader issues affecting the funding of higher education and the feasibility of making higher education and training fee free in South Africa, he said.
The ANC calls on all stakeholders to return to the negotiation table, where in good faith, a collective resolution to the current impasse can be found, Kodwa said.
Although classes have resumed in some universities, sporadic protests continued on Thursday. Student leaders have threatened to paralyze higher institutions of learning if their demand for zero percent fee increase is not met.
