DA condemns arson attack on UKZN Law Library

7 September 2016

The DA condemns in the strongest terms the violence and the destruction of property at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) yesterday. This comes after UKZN’s Howard College law library was set alight and several vehicles were destroyed by student protestors. 

The library was not completely destroyed, but it was seriously damaged. This library is widely regarded as a national and continental asset and was substantially renovated and improved after 1994. Its holdings are precious and irreplaceable.  Like all significant libraries, it has taken years, even decades, to accumulate its contents. Destroying a library is effectively destroying the accumulated work of hundreds of people over a long period of time, and is an attack on the intellectual heart of any University.

The DA once again calls for calm across all university campuses in South Africa, as we work together to find a solution to the fee crisis in Higher Education. We also call on law enforcement to make sure those responsible for this arson face the full might of the law.

While the DA respects students’ right to protest, these students must be reminded of their responsibility to respect the property of universities. 

Violence and vandalism are never solutions to problems we may encounter. Not only will this destruction cost the already financially distressed university money, but it will also not help the protestors' cause. These actions will only set back any progress made to ensure South African universities are inclusive and functioning institutions for all. 

The current fee crisis in universities is the result of two decades of chronic financial neglect by the ANC government. In July, the DA made a submission to the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education and Training, who have been tasked with making recommendations on the feasibility of making higher education and training fee-free in South Africa.

The DA proposed the following: 

- The poorest students need the most comprehensive financial support, and should be supported. 

- The “missing middle” students should receive support, but it should be proportional to their financial standing.

- Better-off students should not receive government financial support for fees or other expenses, as they would either be able to pay for their studies themselves or be eligible for bank loans.

- University subsidies should move gradually towards the level of 50% of costs to a) support quality education, and b) minimize the fee-increase cycle we are currently experiencing.

- These proposals will expand the numbers of students receiving NSFAS funding, and ensure that those who do receive funding will be properly funded. 

The DA was able to identify R2.73 billion in the 2016/17 budget which could have been transferred to assist poor students while also giving universities enough subsidies so they can pay their bills. Yet the ANC blocked this proposal, making it hard to believe that they are serious about finding both short term and long term solutions to this crisis.

With the proper political will and financial priorities we can find find a solution to the fee crisis plaguing South Africa. 

Make no mistake, the future of our country and our young people depends on it.

The DA will do all we can to make sure immediate and lasting solutions are found so that our tertiary institutions are brought back from the brink of financial disaster and that deserving students are granted access into tertiary institutions. 

Issued by Belinda Bozzoli, DA Shadow Minister of Higher Education and Training, 7 September 2016