Call for Free Education Is 'Legitimate' - Higher Education

South Africa's Education Minister embraced the demand of free education after students handed him a memorandum when they marched to the Parliament on 29 October.

"Your demand for free education is a noble and legitimate one and a positive act to affect transformation in the higher education domain. Transformation is a dynamic and continuous process and unlikely to be exacted in a single swoop.

"We walk the entire journey of fundamental change with you. Your protests have highlighted the urgent need for the rapid acceleration of the progressive realisation of free higher education for poor students at undergraduate level," said the Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Mduduzi Manana on Monday.

He said government is considering funding solutions.

"Government has committed to free higher education for the poor undergraduate level and its phasing in requires urgent consideration of funding mechanisms. The Minister of Finance has, during the delivery of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework statement, asserted that he had requested advice on [the] Wealth Tax," said Deputy Minister Manana.