Free Higher Education Fees Now a Reality

President Jacob Zuma on the 16th of December 2017 announced that free higher education will be implemented from all public universities and TVET colleges which will cover up to 90% of both the working class and the poor.

This comes after the president reviewed the fees commission report on free higher education, saying that the recommendations of the report were possible.

Free higher education even after the president has announced it is still not yet possible for everyone it can only apply for those who have registered for this year, Hlengiwe Mkhize the minister of higher education says free education is possible but it has to be posed over the next five years. She went on and said “right now only first year students who registered for 2018 academic year will be considered for free higher education.”

Everyone had hopes that finally the Fees must Fall movement has been one of the successful movements to made sure that free education is implemented. Everyone who has witnessed part of this movement never thought that free education is possible in South Africa this came as pleasant news for everyone, the president left everyone hopeful.

But that came to change now in January when the minister of higher education announced on Tuesday that it cannot be implement yet. She said they were a lot of things that needs to be considered before it can be fully implemented.

The president announced free education looking at the fees commission report, but the minister of finance is still going to give a budget speech on how free higher education is going to be implemented and funded.

The EEF student command on their press conference said that they are going to urge everyone to take advantage of this opportunity and report to their universities of choice, which the ANC is saying the opposition parties are trying to score political points by taking advantage of the situation.

The body representing the universities in South Africa in their statement said that they will not allow any walk in applications in their universities, saying everyone should register online for late registrations which only limited space is available. The EFF says there should be a plan in for those who never considered applying because they never thought free education would be possible.

Free education was received with different views from different organizations and South Africans, Friday saw and increase in matric pass rate, which means many student would want placement in universities and even previous student will want take advantage of free education.

Even previous matric achievers who have been at home because they could not afford it, will also want to get into these universities and take opportunity of free education. This comes as hope to many but South Africa is yet to see how possible will it be.