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The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] welcomes the announcement today in Parliament by the Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Blade Nzimande, that students who have been blacklisted and therefore in the credit beraux for owing the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) will be removed with immediate effect.
The Minister was presenting his department’s Budget Vote for 2011.
As the YCL, we believe that this move will allow millions of students to be able to enter the job market and be economically active. In many instances, students have not been able to get jobs because they were blacklisted due to the fact that they owe students fees, and conversely could not pay their debts.
Student Housing
The YCL also welcomes the allocation of more than R686 million to universities for student housing. Over the years, students’ academic performance has been affected by strikes based on the demand for student housing. Thousands of students have been victims of terrible and unhygienic accommodation posing a negative effect on their education. While we welcome this we believe that this money is not enough compared to the backdrop of Student housing shortages estimated at 20 billion Rand.
Foundation programmes
We also welcome the announcement of R421 million dedicated for foundation programmes to assist students from poor backgrounds so that we increase the output rate of universities. Last year, we drew the attention of the country to the difficulties experienced by first year learners in university as a result of poor preparation from the schooling system.
This has resulted in universities unfairly increasing their admission point systems, and thus excluding thousands of students. We hope to see an improvement in access to universities by student from historically disadvantaged communities.
New Universities
We further welcome the disbandment of the merger between the University of Limpopo and MEDUNSA, and the creation of a new medical institution in Limpopo. This has been one of the major examples of how some of the mergers were a failure, and has disadvantaged many of our students.
On the announcements made by the Minister today with regards to the building of universities in Mpumalanga and Northern Cape, we call on the task teams instituted for this purpose to hasten this process and ensure that the universities are built as speedily as possible.
Nzimande the most hard working Minister in President Zuma’s administration
As an organisation we are quite energized by the high level of commitment and hard work on the part of the Minister, his performance continues to set an example for all other communists deployed in Parliament to tirelessly work for our people. The fact that the Minister had convened three summits since the last budget speech proves that he is a man who believes in collective wisdom.
We demand Jobs for Youth
In line with our call of Jobs creation for Youth, the goals of the Department are located within the overall objectives of prioritising Job creation, New Growth Path, the Industrial policy Action Plan II and Human Resources Development Strategy.
The department has also came with different measures to ensure that young people aquire necessary skills which are needed by the economy, this will undoubtedly lead to Job creation for the Youth. The access programme, increase in NSFAS location and FETs programs will see more young people acquire skills for employment.
Free education in our life time
This year the Minister will spend R5, 4 billion in loans and bursaries, which is double the R2, 7 million of last year. The Minister has also tripled FET Colleges bursaries, with R1, 235 billion allocated to financially need and academically capable students, this will be in a form of 100% bursary which will benefit more than 169 000 students.
We also welcome the fact that students will no longer be charged interest while still studying and that 200 million will be available in a form of the loan for students who have completed their studies but due to outstanding fees have not graduated.
All these and many other pronouncements by the Minister give hope to the working class Youth. However we are still waiting for the day when the Minister announces Free Education for the sons and daughters of the working class and we will continue to engage with the Department in this regard. The foundation has been laid, let us all march towards the attainment of Fee Education.