South Africans protest over underfunding of Schools

Over 100 academics university staff and parents gathered outside parliament on Wednesday calling on the government to address chronic underfunding in the education sector.

Many had donned red robes, handed over a memorandum and held signs stating: “Save Our Universities” reports News 24.

The crowd shouted, “We want Blade” as a representative accepted the memorandum. This was in reference to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande. The representative said government would apply its mind to their demands.

The crowd did not seem happy with this. Some shouted: “What mind?“and “How long?! Christmas?” Police escorted the official back into Parliament.

According to the memorandum, universities and students had been chronically underfunded for many years. They bemoaned increasingly high fees, a lack of transformations, and an environment that placed higher education out of reach for many.

The group said students, and executives had failed to find common ground and workable solutions.

“The resulting crisis has plumed institutions into chaos, with violence and conflict displacing learning and research,“they said.

The group said if no resolution was found soon, the impact would be substantial and immediate, with consequences that everyone would feel for many years.

They demanded that government address funding, inequalities, and under-resourcing of the education sector as a whole.

#SouthAfrica #feesmustfall protest in #capetown. Some students climbing on police cars. So far police not leaving them alone (14:06pm) pic.twitter.com/PBOrOxfev6

— harumutasa/aljazeera (@harumutasa) October 26, 2016

The memorandum represents the UCT Academics Union, the UCT Employees Union, Nehawu-UCT, staff and students of Western Cape universities, parents, community members and civil society.