PUBLIC hospitals will have 1,600 fewer doctors and the class of 2016 will miss out on graduation if the university shutdown continues. This is the grim reality that came out of a failed fees imbizo in Kempton Park on Monday, where President Jacob Zuma made an opening address but rushed off to fulfil his other obligations, leaving students to face off with vice-chancellors, and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and his deputy, Mduduzi Manana. Sixteen out of the country’s 26 universities, including the University of Cape Town, remained closed on Monday. Dejected student leaders who had attended the imbizo have agreed to write a letter to Zuma asking for a meeting with him. Students said they felt deeply disrespected by the president and demanded that he come back, but he did not. Rorisang Moseli, president of the UCT student representative council, said: "At this point we must be quite frank that the sector will collapse if they don’t address this [fees] issue." There would be ...
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