Fourteen universities did not have funds to augment government to fund the 0% fee increase last year.
Following the #FeesMustFall protest, which led to students marching to the Union Buildings two years ago, Zuma announced that there would be a 0% university fee hike.
An agreement was reached in 2016 that the financial implication would be shared between government and universities that could afford to contribute. But in a parliamentary reply recently, Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande said the initial agreement was that there would be a 70/30 share for government and universities, respectively.
It cost R2.3-billion to implement the 0% fee increase and government contributed only R1.9-billion(83%) and R395-million (17%) came from other universities that had funds.
Only 12 universities were able to honour the cost-sharing agreement, and of this number only six institutions managed to contribute 30%, while others forked out 15%. Most of the institutions that shared the costs were previously white universities in Cape Town, Pretoria, Wits and Stellenbosch.
But the previously disadvantaged universities said they did not have money and were barely surviving.
macupeb@sowetan.co.za