by Following the announcement by Higher Education Minister, Blade Nzimande, of a possible 8% student fee increase in 2017, there has been great student unrest across the country.
Students are not just enraged at this increase, they are asking for university fees in South Africa to be scrapped altogether.
This is What an 8% Fee Increase Looks Like for a First Year Student
*Not including application and registration fee.
| University | BA 2016 | BA 2017 | BCom 2016 | BCom 2017 |
| University of Pretoria | R30 560 | R33 004 | R36 430 | R39 344 |
| University of Cape Town | R46 000 | R49 680 | R48 750 | R52 650 |
| University of Johannesburg | R29 170 | R31 503 | R29 140 | R31 471 |
| North West University | R34 245 | R36 984 | R39 495 | R42 654 |
| Stellenbosch | R32 534 | R35 136 | R33 164 | R53 817 |
#UCTshutdown
#UCTshutdown is hot and happening. The children of the soil are demanding a free decolonial education. We are led.
Protest action is in full swing at the University of Cape Town and marching students have brought traffic on the M3 highway to a halt.
Students are not only protesting the 2017 fees hike, they also want the expulsion and indictment of several members of the movement.
Since Monday, classes at UCT have been suspended to protect students and staff against any protest action.
#StelliesFeesMustFall
Meanwhile, at Stellenbosch University, Twitter users are reporting that some classes and tests have been unofficially suspended, while the University maintains that it will not suspend academic activity.
According to @blak_terrorist, security and staff have assaulted students.
Tygerberg campus of Stellenbosch university shutdown. Staff have joined private security in beating up students.
#FeesMustFall appears that parts of Stellenbosch University not in operation including admin buildings. Some classes & tests cancelled
— S’thembile Cele (@SthembileCel) September 20, 2016
#Witsshutdown
#Asinamali #Wits #witsshutdown #Fees2017 #FeesMustFall
— Lindokuhle Xulu (@LindokuhlXulu1) September 20, 2016
SAPS have arrested several students for blocking the entrance to the Braamfontein campus. Management has said the academic programme and all activities will continue as planned today, despite the protests.
Wits SRS outgoing president Nompendule Mkhatshwa says she is disappointed: “They’ve been extremely militant towards us by arresting 18 of our students from Mens Res [Male Residence] for barricading the Empire Road gate, something we did last year that we were able to resolve very well. Then, the police understood that we were not causing any harm to the university.”
A student at Wits, who was also assaulted, said he was merely observing the protest (See video below).
#FeesMustFall2016 This Wits student says he was choked, assaulted by police. WATCH CM
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) September 20, 2016
