Currently South Africa is witnessing violent student protests at many of its university campuses which has seen the suspension of lectures and in some cases the closures campuses. Students are protesting the governments’ announcement that universities can increase fees by up to 8% next year. The government made a concession to student protesters last year, agreeing to freeze fee increases for this year and has promised to pay about $180 million to cover the costs of poor studentsAs students continue to insist on free education, the South African Education Minister, Blade Nzimande has said that government has “gone a long way” towards providing financial support for poor students and that students with resources should pay fees to help cover rising university costs.Education and social issues are inextricably linked and if, as a fledgling democracy, South Africa truly believes that education is a public good that would bring about much deeper transformation, it is surely time to en...
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