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Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

fees must fall

#FeesMustFall R2.3bn will come from here

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The Presidential task team appointed during the #FeesMustFall campaign has recommended that R2.3bn be made available to address the shortfall in student funding, the presidency said on Tuesday. The task team submitted its report to President Jacob Zuma. "Government and the universities will make contributions towards addressing the shortfall," Zuma said in a statement communicating the recommendations. "Upfront fee and registration payments should be implemented across the system for … [Read more...] about #FeesMustFall R2.3bn will come from here

NMMU ends outsourcing, introduces sweeping debt relief

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Port Elizabeth - The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Council has announced the end of outsourcing at the institution. The council also pledged debt relief for students. In a statement issued on Saturday following a council meeting, NMMU council chairperson Judge Ronnie Pillay said they had resolved to commit the university to ending outsourcing of service workers. He said the practice led to exploitation of labour and unethical practices not in line with NMMU's core … [Read more...] about NMMU ends outsourcing, introduces sweeping debt relief

If you say there will be no fee increase, we’re in deep …. – Jansen

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Government will regret its decision of a 0% increase in tuition fees, University of the Free State Vice Chancellor Professor Jonathan Jansen said on Thursday. Jansen was speaking at the Cape Town Club about the recent student protests and the future of tertiary institutions. He also highlighted three possible scenarios that could play out in terms of the scrapping of the 2016 fee increment. Jansen said it would take extraordinary leadership from government to "get us out of this … [Read more...] about If you say there will be no fee increase, we’re in deep …. – Jansen

#FeesMustFall movement highlights unresolved inequalities

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The #FeesMustFall movement was a "wake up call" about "unresolved inequalities" in society, University of the Free State (UFS) vice chancellor Professor Jonathan Jansen said on Thursday. Jansen, speaking at the Cape Town Club on the recent student protests and the future of tertiary institutions, highlighted the protests were never simply just about fees. He also said the protests furthermore differed between predominantly English, Afrikaans and black universities. "At universities like … [Read more...] about #FeesMustFall movement highlights unresolved inequalities

R19.7 Billion needed for university subsidies

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In the little time that Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande spent answering questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday, he mostly went through figures for funding, including the R19.7bn needed for university subsidies. His figures were mentioned by the director general of Higher Education and Training, Gwebinkundla (Gwebs) Qonde, to the standing committee on appropriations earlier in the day. Nzimande said that in order to ensure an appropriately funded higher education sector, … [Read more...] about R19.7 Billion needed for university subsidies

#FeesMustFall Campaign is ‘Noble and Just’

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At the NMMU Senate meeting held on Monday, 2 November 2015, the Senate considered and discussed, inter alia, the recent student protests around affordable fees and more generally, the campaign for 'free' higher education in South Africa. A delegation of student leaders was invited to make a presentation on the core demands and issues that were raised during the recent protests at NMMU. After due consideration of these issues, against the background of the wider crisis of funding of universities, … [Read more...] about #FeesMustFall Campaign is ‘Noble and Just’

We can make a difference – by speaking up

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We face a number of obvious "giants" in our country: poverty, inequality, unemployment, lack of education, land reform and crime are the big ones. They are monsters and will not go gently into the night. However, two silent giants also stand in our way, namely the lack of non-political leadership and the hopelessness with which many in our country appear to be faced. It has taken our students, in their unified stand to oppose fees, to remind us that we can make a difference. That by … [Read more...] about We can make a difference – by speaking up

Three important #FeesMustFall lessons

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The tens of thousands of university students across the country who came together over the past two weeks for a united cause have taught the world three important lessons about having a successful protest, an academic says. According to University of KwaZulu-Natal Professor Patrick Bond, those three lessons are: make alliances, expand your geographical vision, and choose national targets. Bond, who is also a director at the Centre for Civil Society at the university, said these three … [Read more...] about Three important #FeesMustFall lessons

University funding shortfall plan

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A plan to finance university shortfalls will be announced on Thursday, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has told Parliament. This came after President Jacob Zuma's announcement on Friday that there would be a 0% increase in university fees for 2016. The announcement followed days of protests by students who did not want any increase in university fees for next year and who demanded an end to outsourcing at higher education institutions. Speaking at a transformation in higher … [Read more...] about University funding shortfall plan

How Government could cover 0% fee hike

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The South African government can redistribute parts of the state fiscus - or possibly defer certain payments - to fund the 0% increase in university fees next year, a political economist said on Tuesday. Senior research fellow at think-tank Trade Collective and political economist Liepollo Lebohang Pheko told News24 that government could redistribute loans going to Eskom or SAA to pay for the reported R2.6bn shortfall in higher education funding due to a freeze in fees. "They can also try … [Read more...] about How Government could cover 0% fee hike

Counting the cost of Student Protests

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Dear Ratepayers, Business and Civil Society, One billion rand from our ratepayers monies disappears annually due to theft, corruption and mismanagement from the NMB Metro and to compensate for this, the following year WE, as ratepayers, are faced with the highly inflated increases from the Metro in order to recover and survive. We have no option to utilise the services of another competitive service provider, WE just have to pay. Over the last week we have seen how students protested not … [Read more...] about Counting the cost of Student Protests

Student Statement from #NMMUSHUTDOWN Student Movement Rally behind the #FEESMUSTFALL and #ENDOUTSOURCING National Call

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A verbatim transcription of the NMMU Students demands of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is below: SHORT TERM - DEADLINE NOVEMBER 2015 The student body of NMMU diagrees with any % increase but rather propose that fees remain at 0% increase furthermore for MANCO and Council to urgently convene and resolve on the 0% fee increment and send circular to the student body, and this must translate in residences and off campus. The Student Body of NMMU requests that the enrolment fee … [Read more...] about Student Statement from #NMMUSHUTDOWN Student Movement Rally behind the #FEESMUSTFALL and #ENDOUTSOURCING National Call

#FeesAreFrozen shortfall could be R3 Billion

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The difficulties facing universities were partly due to the ANC government falling victims to its own success, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande told broadcaster eNCA on Sunday. "At one level we are victims of our own successes as the ANC government because the university sector has really grown, it has doubled since 1994 and it's now majority black and majority women," he said in an interview. He was asked whether his department was not guilty of contributing to the funding crisis … [Read more...] about #FeesAreFrozen shortfall could be R3 Billion

Blade unsure how to pay for 0% increase in #FeesMustFall

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President Jacob Zuma may have told the country there would be a 0% increase in university fees next year, but Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande does not know how South Africa will pay for it, according to a report on Sunday. Nzimande was quoted by the Sunday Times saying finding the around R3 billion needed to fund a freeze in university fees would be "a tough one". "We have to find the money somewhere. At the moment, we are asking our director-general of the Treasury and higher … [Read more...] about Blade unsure how to pay for 0% increase in #FeesMustFall