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South African Students March to Capital as Zuma Holds Talks

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South African Students March to Capital as Zuma Holds Talks
South African Students March to Capital as Zuma Holds Talks
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South African Students March to Capital as Zuma Holds Talks

By Editor

Thousands of South African students marched on Friday to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, demanding lower university fees. President Jacob Zuma met student leaders and university officials after days of growing protests.

  Students shut campuses nationwide over planned fee hikes, arguing the increases would block poor black youths from higher education. Since apartheid ended in 1994, frustration has grown over limited opportunities, worsened by a weak economy and high unemployment.   Zuma’s office said he welcomed the protests outside the Union Buildings, where Nelson Mandela took office in 1994. The statement noted that universities set their own fees, shifting criticism from the ruling ANC.   “The government thinks we are joking,” said Kgotsi Genge, a 22-year-old University of Pretoria student. “But we will keep fighting. South Africa must invest more in education. We are oppressed.”   Earlier this week, hundreds stormed parliament in Cape Town, where police used stun grenades to protect the National Assembly. Demonstrations spread to Johannesburg, the University of Fort Hare, and other cities.   Fees were set to rise by up to 10% next year. A Bachelor of Arts at the University of Cape Town already costs 46,000 rand ($3,400).   On Friday morning, riot police blocked students from gathering directly outside the Union Buildings with high fences. Protesters still demanded Zuma speak to them as their numbers grew.   Student activism has surged this year, led by the “born free” generation who never lived under apartheid. Anger over inequality runs deep. Education protests carry historic weight, recalling the 1976 Soweto uprisings against Afrikaans lessons, when police killed scores of students.   Earlier this year, UCT students forced the removal of Cecil John Rhodes’ statue, a symbol of colonial oppression.          

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