Bishop Garry Rivas of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa came out guns blazing against government‚ accusing it of coming up with no concrete plan for the urgency of Fees Must Fall.
“Our immediate concern is the immediate reaction of the government. Students didn’t just wake three weeks ago and decide that ‘enough is enough’; this has been brewing for a long time‚” the bishop said on Tuesday.
He was speaking to TMG Digital outside the Great Hall‚ a few metres away from a group of students who were chanting struggle songs.
The group of about 300 students gathered to discuss new strategy and tactics after the heated situation on Monday‚ which spilled over onto the streets of Braamfontein. The group planned to go to the east campus‚ where one said they wanted to “disrupt and damage infrastructure so that they university will feel our pain”.
Rivas is among the religious leaders who have been in support of the Fees Must Fall movement.
“The students have come up with ideas‚ thoughts and plans in order to find a way forward and everything they come up with is just torn into pieces‚” he said.
“We are really concerned about the lack of leadership in the country at the moment. The absolute lack of leadership from our government officials as far as we are concerned is unacceptable.”
There is a heavy police presence on both the east and west campuses. — TMG Digital
Bishop slams ‘lack of government leadership’ in university crisis
Bishop Garry Rivas of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa came out guns blazing against government‚ accusing it of coming up with no concrete plan for the urgency of Fees Must Fall.
“Our immediate concern is the immediate reaction of the government. Students didn’t just wake three weeks ago and decide that ‘enough is enough’; this has been brewing for a long time‚” the bishop said on Tuesday.
He was speaking to TMG Digital outside the Great Hall‚ a few metres away from a group of students who were chanting struggle songs.
The group of about 300 students gathered to discuss new strategy and tactics after the heated situation on Monday‚ which spilled over onto the streets of Braamfontein. The group planned to go to the east campus‚ where one said they wanted to “disrupt and damage infrastructure so that they university will feel our pain”.
Rivas is among the religious leaders who have been in support of the Fees Must Fall movement.
“The students have come up with ideas‚ thoughts and plans in order to find a way forward and everything they come up with is just torn into pieces‚” he said.
“We are really concerned about the lack of leadership in the country at the moment. The absolute lack of leadership from our government officials as far as we are concerned is unacceptable.”
There is a heavy police presence on both the east and west campuses. — TMG Digital
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