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Blade Nzimande has reported bloggers to Twitter for allegedly inciting violence and hate in several Tweets directed at him on Sunday. Image via Twitter @DrBladeNzimande

Blade Nzimande compares student protests to ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’

The minister compared the turbulent student protests to ‘The Bold and The Beautiful’ soapie.

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Blade Nzimande has reported bloggers to Twitter for allegedly inciting violence and hate in several Tweets directed at him on Sunday. Image via Twitter @DrBladeNzimande

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande compared the ongoing student protests to the long-running US soapie The Bold and The Beautiful when he addressed Parliament’s Education Committee on Tuesday 23 March.

NZIMANDE COMPARES STUDENT PROTESTS TO SOAPIE

The minister said that the national shutdown of universities across South Africa needs to urgently be called off as the academic year is already short. He then went as far as to compare the student protests, which flared up nationwide due to student debt and financial exclusion issues, to the US daytime soapie The Bold and The Beautiful.

The minister was also concerned about the country reaching the third wave of covid which would result in further delays.

“The shutdown must be called off as soon as possible because we are worried the academic year is already short,” said Nzimande.

“Every year, it’s like a soap — ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’. Every beginning of the year there is instability,” he continued.

GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS ‘HAVE BEEN MET’

The minister also said that the government has met all their obligations in terms of the financial assistance of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). 

“The heart of the issue is as simple as this: NSFAS students are catered for, which is the government’s policy with the means test, which is family income of R350,000 per annum. That is catered for and dealt with,” said Nzimande.

He added that the country continued to have free education for the lower and working class however, the herdle is currently with the “missing middle”.

He also stated that he is liaising with vice-chancellors of universities to evaluate the nature of debt to determine whether the debt can be written off. 

Student leaders from the South African Union of Students (SAUS) have asked the police to stop using rubber bullets to disperse of students during protests following the death of Mthokozisi Ntumba during a #FeesMustFall protest near the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) on 10 March 2021. The 35-year-old Ntumba was fatally shot by a rubber bullet.

CELEBRITIES SHOW STUDENTS THEIR SUPPORT

Local celebrities, such as Lasizwe, have stepped in to raise funds for the students unable to register due to historical debt. He intended on raising R1 million towards the fees…and he did. Standard Bank matched his efforts and donated R1 million to his #R10GoesALongWay fundraising initiative, which now totals R2 million.

Other celebrities, such as Prince Kaybee took a more hands-on approach to show support and joined the students at the protests in Johannesburg, Gauteng. 

Students still enraged by tertiary education situation: