S. AFRICA-BUDGET/CLASHES UPDATE Students in Cape Town clash with police in fees protest

Record ID: 136003

  • Title: S. AFRICA-BUDGET/CLASHES UPDATE Students in Cape Town clash with police in fees protest
  • Date: 21st October 2015
  • Summary: CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (OCTOBER 21, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TYRE BURNING IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT PLACARD SAYING "#FEESMUSTFALL" STUDENTS CHANTING AND SINGING OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT MORE OF TYRE BURNING VARIOUS OF POLICE STANDING GUARD MORE OF STUDENTS PROTESTING SMOKE RISING INTO THE AIR STUDENTS DANCING AROUND BURNING TYRE GROUP OF STUDENTS CHATTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEGDGTFDK7CYK25HH6ALHAL0IH
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: South African riot police fired stun grenades on Wednesday (October 21) at hundreds of protesting students who stormed the parliament precinct in Cape Town to try to disrupt the reading of Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene's interim budget. As chaos erupted around the building, Nene, standing calmly at the podium inside the chamber, continued to read his speech, in which he outlined the gloomy outlook for Africa's most advanced economy.
    The speech was delayed by 45 minutes as MPs from the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party raised multiple questions of order, arguing the budget should be delayed because of student protests over a hike in tuition fees. Scuffles broke out as parliamentary security guards were eventually called in to remove the EFF members by force.
    At that point, there were chaotic scenes as hundreds of students demanding the government scrap planned increases in tuition fees stormed the parliament compound.
    "I'm a student and I want to write my exams so I feel that I do have that thing by the timing is not perfect but now my question is when is the perfect time, when is the perfect time to protest? If we had protested two months ago people would have said 'oh no, you shouldn't have protested now, it's too late, you should have done it in January'. If we protest in January, no the year has started, we will scare the first years. If we protest in March, no we about to go on holiday. There is no perfect time for a protest, this is not the right time, we are about to write exams, when is the perfect time?" said Somila Dondashe, a student at University of Cape Town.
    Many of South Africa's universities have been hit in the past week by the student protests, some of them violent.
    President Jacob Zuma, who wore a stony expression through Nene's speech, has not commented on the protests. Many students will have no recollection of apartheid and thus little emotional allegiance to the ruling African National Congress.
    "The education problem within South Africa is a huge issue because people keep on quoting (Nelson) Mandela and saying that education is a right to access and it is how we become emancipated from certain things and at the same time education has now a monetary price, meaning to get educated you need to be wealthy and because of our historical legacy, it means many people are disadvantaged, black people are disadvantaged in this nation." added Mohammed Jameel Abeullah, a University of Cape Town student.
    South African universities initially wanted to increase tuition fees by up to 11.5 percent, prompting students to launch their protest campaign on Oct. 13. Critics say the move will further disadvantage black students, who are already relatively under-represented.
    The protesters - who include white learners - have rejected a proposal from some student leaders, university dons and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande to cap fee increases at 6 percent for 2016, just above inflation. At least 14 universities are involved in the demonstrations, which have led to the suspension of some classes.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register