Johannesburg - University protesters have been urged to take their fight for free education to President Jacob Zuma and not vice-chancellors.
Anglican Bishop Jo Seoka and academic and poet Professor Pitika Ntuli say that vice-chancellors have no power to implement free education. Only President Jacob Zuma has those powers.
Seoka and Ntuli are part of a mediating group working with Wits students and management, following three weeks of violent protests.
On Friday, Wits is due to hold a general assembly to try to resolve the issue.
"The person who can resolve the matter is the state. The president must, therefore, come out and say we'll sort this out, like he did with the zero percent last year. There is no university president who can say that," said Seoka, speaking at Solomon Mahlangu House on Thursday.
Seoka said Wits Vice-Chancellor Professor Adam Habib was unfairly at the receiving end of the students' wrath.
"It's the government's responsibility (to offer free education). The vice-chancellor has no role in this. They (students) are angry with him and see him as a buffer between them and the government.
"It must be made very clear that the vice-chancellor supports the struggle of students. However, he is trying to make sure that we don't lose the academic year," Seoka said.
Ntuli echoed his sentiments: "The university must take a position that the problem lies directly with the government. At the moment, we are fighting Habib. Let this be taken where it belongs," said Ntuli.
PAC Struggle stalwart Kenny Motsamai, who is out on parole, also attended the mass meeting to support the students.
Meanwhile, the DA made similar assertions at a media briefing in Rosebank. The party called for the opening of institutions and encouraged protesters to direct their marches to Zuma or the ANC headquarters Luthuli House.
DA Parliamentary chief whip John Steenhuisen said: "Large swathes of students feel that government is not listening - and they are right.
"The president has gone out and said free education and then thrown it to his minister (Higher Education's Blade Nzimande). The minister has now thrown the ball back to universities, which have now been turned into battlegrounds," Steenhuisen said.
"The real battleground should be outside Luthuli House and outside Minister Nzimande's office. Students should direct their anger and frustration at the real villains in this piece - President Zuma and his government."
Zuma angered students on Monday when he attended a fees imbizo in Boksburg, read a speech and left without discussing anything with student leaders. They threatened to disrupt the meeting if he did not return. He later sent a message that if they wanted to meet him, they should submit a written request.
DA education spokesperson Professor Belinda Bozzoli said free education was not feasible for everyone and recommended a redesign of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
In its model, the DA suggests students with a household income of zero to R200 000 a year be fully funded for their studies. Those with a household income of R200 000 to R350 000 a year should receive a 66 percent loan and those with R350 000 to R500 000 receive a 33 percent loan.
The loans can be turned into bursaries for well-performing students.
"The effect of this approach would be to make university free at the point of access to poor students while still enabling universities to retain a high level of funding and quality," Bozzoli said.
At the assembly on Friday, Wits University was expected to pledge that it agreed that free education was feasible, and management and students would approach the government to lobby for it.
@TebogoMonama
tebogo.monama@inl.co.za
The Star