The head of the Anglican church in southern Africa has begged students protesting about university fees to stop the violence that has paralysed campuses around the country.
A “deeply pained” Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said on Saturday that buildings which had been burned in protests were those which had transformed the lives of South Africans and their leaders in the past.
“The burning of schools‚ libraries‚ and institutions of higher learning sets us back from progressing as a nation. It is in these schools‚ libraries and institutions where people’s lives have been transformed‚” said Makgoba‚ who is chancellor of the University of the Western Cape.
“Our universities‚ colleges and schools are important heritage sites for our communities. They preserve the history and the knowledge and the deeds of the leaders of yesterday‚ and serve in the education and growth of the leaders of tomorrow.
“It is this dream for the future leaders of this great country that we must protect. We should not forget the role played by some of these institutions during apartheid to contribute to the freedom we enjoy today.
“These institutions have not only moulded current leaders and those before us‚ but have transformed the lives of children and families who come from the dusty streets of rural Limpopo or those who come from Langa‚ Mitchells Plain‚ Manenberg and other townships and rural areas around the country.”
Makgoba asked that the Fees Commission be given space to do its work on the feasibility of free education for the poor.
“Let us give the Ministry of Higher Education and Treasury a space to implement their new plans to assist the ‘missing middle’ by introducing a new funding model for 2017‚” he said.
“We must protect our students’ right to learn in a conducive and enabling environment. As we need to respect students’ right to peacefully protest we must also respect students’ right to peacefully continue the academic programme without interruptions and intimidation.
“With so much inequality and poverty in this country‚ let us refrain from deepening the divide through destructive actions. Violence and destructive action will not bring about the desired solutions.”
Makgoba said university students in the current generation had the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves.
“When one day you reflect on this time‚ may the story you tell be one that fills you with pride. May it be a story that — like the stories your parents told you of their fight for your right to equal education — makes future generations appreciate the opportunities we have that they never had.
“May your legacy not be one that destroys centres of learning‚ leaving nothing for posterity.”
TMG Digital/Cape Newsroom
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba begs students to halt fees violence
The head of the Anglican church in southern Africa has begged students protesting about university fees to stop the violence that has paralysed campuses around the country.
A “deeply pained” Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said on Saturday that buildings which had been burned in protests were those which had transformed the lives of South Africans and their leaders in the past.
“The burning of schools‚ libraries‚ and institutions of higher learning sets us back from progressing as a nation. It is in these schools‚ libraries and institutions where people’s lives have been transformed‚” said Makgoba‚ who is chancellor of the University of the Western Cape.
“Our universities‚ colleges and schools are important heritage sites for our communities. They preserve the history and the knowledge and the deeds of the leaders of yesterday‚ and serve in the education and growth of the leaders of tomorrow.
“It is this dream for the future leaders of this great country that we must protect. We should not forget the role played by some of these institutions during apartheid to contribute to the freedom we enjoy today.
“These institutions have not only moulded current leaders and those before us‚ but have transformed the lives of children and families who come from the dusty streets of rural Limpopo or those who come from Langa‚ Mitchells Plain‚ Manenberg and other townships and rural areas around the country.”
Makgoba asked that the Fees Commission be given space to do its work on the feasibility of free education for the poor.
“Let us give the Ministry of Higher Education and Treasury a space to implement their new plans to assist the ‘missing middle’ by introducing a new funding model for 2017‚” he said.
“We must protect our students’ right to learn in a conducive and enabling environment. As we need to respect students’ right to peacefully protest we must also respect students’ right to peacefully continue the academic programme without interruptions and intimidation.
“With so much inequality and poverty in this country‚ let us refrain from deepening the divide through destructive actions. Violence and destructive action will not bring about the desired solutions.”
Makgoba said university students in the current generation had the opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves.
“When one day you reflect on this time‚ may the story you tell be one that fills you with pride. May it be a story that — like the stories your parents told you of their fight for your right to equal education — makes future generations appreciate the opportunities we have that they never had.
“May your legacy not be one that destroys centres of learning‚ leaving nothing for posterity.”
TMG Digital/Cape Newsroom
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