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It is with great shock and sadness to learn that the right to higher education to hundreds of students at CIDA City Campus will be taken away due to the closure of their institution. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is calling on government together with the Department of Education and all the involved stakeholders to take over the institution and make sure that these students do continue with their studies.

There is still time to avoid this. The closure of CIDA will add up on the crisis of high fees that this country is currently facing. This has had a negative effect already, where most students from disadvantaged background are unable to access institutions of higher education to further their studies and CIDA is amongst the few of the left institutions with reasonable fees.

The closure will mean that these young people will be unable to harness their experiences towards building the strength of character needed to become leaders in South Africa and to bring change unto their lives and their families through education.

For some, CIDA is the only access to higher education they can have, as the costs of other institutions are prohibitive.

If the auction goes ahead and this institution happens to close, we demand that the Higher Education and Training Minister, Blade Nzimande with MEC in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi come up with an alternative that will be of benefit to those negatively affected by this.

We cannot allow the right to education of these students to be taken away from them.

Issued by The United Democratic Movement