Free Higher Education in South Africa

Time is ticking and government is yet to reveal its funding plan for free higher education as announced by President Jacob Zuma in December. Zuma announced that poor and working class students with a combined annual income of up to R350‚000 will be fully subsidised for their higher education fees. However, last week, the Minister for Higher Education Hlengiwe Mkhize said the Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba was very much part of the process and had asked government not to probe into the funding details of the new higher education funding policy. Meanwhile the announcement was met with mixed reactions with some arguing that this could put pressure on the already pressurised higher education system while other believe it would bring much needed relief to those who need it.To discuss this further we are joined in studio by: • Sisakhe Ntlabezo – Equal Education Chief of Staff• Prof Bheki Mngomezulu – Lecturer of Political Sciences at the University of the Western Cape• Prof Suellen Shay – Dean of Centre for Higher Education Development