The South African Student Organisation (Sasco) has given University of Pretoria (UP) until the end of the week to make a decision on fee increases for 2017.

This ultimatum comes after Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande on Monday said that South African universities must establish exactly how much they would increase their fees‚ but must not exceed eight%.

UP Sasco chairperson Michael Prince Ngobeni said‚ “The university must respond to the questions of fees with a full commitment. The univserity must be in a position to release a statement before the end of this week and we are saying that the university must announce their position before they announce the new SRC“.

Yesterday‚ Nzimande said government would fund National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) qualifying students‚ as well as the so-called missing middle whose families earn more than the NSFAS threshold but not enough to afford university fees.

“Government will pay for the fee adjustment. This will bring huge relief to nurses‚ teachers‚ police‚ social workers‚ and other parents who work in occupations that do not earn huge salaries‚ and who have children at university‚” said Nzimande.

Meanwhile‚ hundreds of students have gathered inside the university‚ singing struggle songs and carrying placards. One said‚ “Sasco says free t-shirts over free education“.

As TMG Digital attemepted to speak to the member of the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania holding the placard‚ a member of Sasco came behind and snatched it from him and said‚ “You are f****ing around“.

There was a large presence of the police and hired security on campus. — TMG Digital